The Locket
by SwagSammich78
Summary: An inheritance from her great-grandmother has always dominated her life. Add in exposed secrets, a chain of murders, and a practically forbidden love? Well it had only been a matter of time. Rules, after all, were made to be broken. AU?
1. Prologue

What the hell is wrong with Kelsey, starting all these damn stories? Yeesh. Well, whatever. This one has been in my head waaaaay longer than anything else I've got up right now. I'm talking, in my head for like, practically a year. So I don't want to hear it. haha. Obviously since I've got like, four things up now, some stuff's not going to be updated as much, but I finish my stories I put up. For real. So don't fret, it will all get finished. It just might not be on **your **time schedule. Alright, so this story is probably going to be more along the lines of an AU, even though they're all in the same place and whatnot. This first chapter's just a prologue. I like prologues. Go cry about it. So...yeah...

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Boondocks. Don't sue. I am one broke b!$#._

* * *

_February 21, 2003  
Boston, Massachusetts_

"Alright, honey." The counselor sat up in her chair, flipping through a few forms on her clipboard. "Tell me a little about yourself."

The eight year old girl squirmed in her chair, her shiny black Mary Janes clicking together. Her favorite doll was in her lap. Her poofy strawberry blond ponytail sat on the top of her head. She frowned, staring around the room as if examining her surroundings of the children psychology office. Her eyes landed behind the therapist, staring out the long windows that offered views of the city. The counselor offered her a reassuring smile.

"It's alright, honey." She leaned forward in her chair, catching the girl's eye. "You can talk to me. I want to be friends."

Her frown deepened. "I have friends," She said softly, her green eyes falling to her feet. The woman glanced down at her notes.

"You know," She said in a melodic tone, so polite it was almost as if she weren't disagreeing with her. "A little friend of mine told me the opposite." She peered over the edge of her glasses. "You've been having problems in school?"

The little girl shrugged, not looking up. "People pick on me. They laugh at me."

"Well." She sat up. "Do you know why?"

The girl swallowed, looking up. She looked afraid. "I see things. I hear things that no one else does." He voice was softer. The counselor nodded, writing down something on her clipboard.

"I have been told that you have a big imagination." She looked back up. "Is it okay if I say your name?"

She shrugged.

"Alright then, Jazmine." She offered the girl a gentle smile. "I feel like we're better friends already."

"I have friends," Jazmine repeated. The counselor went on as if she didn't hear her.

"Your parents told me that you're picked on a lot." She flipped through her paperwork. "You're teased, called names, pushed…they took you out of your old school after you were cornered on the playground." She rested her chin in her hand. "What happened?"

Jazmine shifted in her chair. "They said I was crazy."

"And what made them say that?" When Jazmine merely shrugged in response the woman scooted closer. "You don't have to be afraid to talk to me about it, sweetie. There are no wrong answers."

"They laughed at me for talking to imaginary people." Jazmine swallowed. The counselor pushed a strand of brown hair behind her hear, leaning over her papers.

"It's okay to have imaginary friends-"

"They aren't imaginary."

The counselor looked at her. "They're not?"

"No."

She sat up straighter, folding her hands over her clipboard. "Can they talk?"

"Yes."

"Can you see them?"

"Yes."

"Does anyone else see them?"

Jazmine frowned, staring down at her lap. "My Grammy does."

"Ah. Your grandmother." She glanced down at her notes. "Freda Marie Alston." She gazed back towards Jazmine, who was wiping her palms on the skirt of her purple jumpsuit. "You two are really close, huh?"

Jazmine nodded, her ponytail bobbing furiously. "She's my best friend."

"Well. Grandmothers are very wise." She leaned back in her chair. "They also enjoy telling wise tales. Don't you think she's playing make believe when she tells you of her invisible friends?"

"No." Jazmine sat up herself although her voice was small. "Because I've seen them, too."

The woman smiled. "I'm sure."

Jazmine's frown turned into a little pout. "You don't believe me." She sighed, staring down at her doll. "No one ever believes me."

"Well." The woman set her clipboard on the desk beside her and folded her hands over her knees, crossing her legs. She smiled lightly. "Why don't you tell me about your friends?" When Jazmine hesitated she shrugged. "You want to be my friend, right?"

"Mommy and daddy made me come." The little girl sounded hurt. "I don't want to be here. I want to go home."

"Don't worry. You won't be here much longer." She tapped her watch. "So while you're here, why don't you just talk to me? I won't tell anyone. I pinky promise." She ran her fingers across her tightly closed lips as if zipping them shut, then threw away the key. Jazmine took a deep breath.

"They aren't my friends." She clasped her own hands together and stared at the floor. "They're gone."

The woman tilted her head to the side. "Gone?"

"They were here before." Jazmine didn't look up. "They're ghosts."

The woman's expression smoothed over so that when Jazmine looked up she couldn't tell what she was thinking. "They talk to me," She practically whispered. "Some of them are really nice. Some of them are scary."

"Jazmine-"

"I dream things, too." The woman closed her mouth again. "I dream things that come true afterwards. I see people in my dreams. Sometimes I'll be in math and all of a sudden I get this headache." She stared down at the floor again. "It hurts. And then I see things. And when I see these things, they haven't happened yet." She looked up, tears in her eyes. "But after I see them, they do. It scares me. Grammy said there's nothing to worry about, but it makes me feel crazy. And other kids call me crazy, too. They say mean things. They hurt my feelings." She sniffed. "I want to be _normal_."

"You _are _normal." The woman reached for her clipboard again. "You're perfectly normal. You just have an overactive imagination-"

"It's _not _my imagination!" Jazmine suddenly yelled, causing them both to blink. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. "It's not. It's _real_-"

"The mind is a very complex thing-"

"-and nothing stops it-"

"-that leads us to believe sometimes that illusions are our reality-"

"-You're not _listening _to me!"

"Because, Jazmine." The woman rested both her feet on the floor. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "That's not true."

"It is, and I think deep down you know it's true." She smiled. "I'm sure you think that these…so called visions you have are from the future, but they're simply from subconscious recognized cues you gather on a day to day basis. Premonitions are not real."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." Jazmine slouched in her chair. The woman sighed.

"I still think you're a wonderful girl. Maybe you just have these…overactive imaginations to cover up something deeper in your life. Tell me, do you and your father have a good relationship? Your mother?"

"They think I'm crazy, too."

"They don't. They're very worried about you." The woman's brown eyes bore into Jazmine's green ones. "They love you very much. They just want to help you."

"They don't understand me." Jazmine shook her head. "The only one who does is my grammy. I wish I lived with her and not mommy and daddy."

"You don't mean that. You love your parents."

"But they don't love me."

"Do you really think that?"

Jazmine nodded. "Sometimes."

"If they didn't love you, they wouldn't have come to school to get you when you were attacked by those kids." The woman scribbled something down on her paper. "They wouldn't have put you into a different school. You wouldn't be here."

"I want to go home."

"You're almost done. Don't worry. So, how often do you see your grandmother?"

"I used to stay over her house on the weekends but now mommy and daddy only let me see her if she comes over. She lives in Salem."

"I see." She wrote something down. "And she tells you that your imaginary friends are real?"

"She sees them, too."

"Are you an only child?"

"Huh?" Jazmine blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Do you have any brothers or sisters that make you feel unimportant?"

"No." Jazmine shook her head. The woman stared at her.

"Do you feel like no one loves you?"

"No!" Jazmine's voice was shrill. "I feel like no one believes me! It makes me mad."

The woman stared at her and she stared back. After a few seconds she cleared her throat.

"Let's say I gave you a chance to prove to me that what you're telling me is real." She set down her notes again, placing her elbow on her arm rest and resting her chin on her thumb and index finger. "Right here, right now." She shrugged. "Could you do it?"

Jazmine faltered. "I…I don't know."

"Well, if it's real, surely you can prove it to me."

She shook her head. "They don't come because I want them to. They come because they need me."

"They need you?" The woman smiled. "Now, what does anyone need from an eight year old girl?"

"They want me to tell their family something, or return something to someone," Jazmine said, causing the woman's smile to vanish. "Sometimes they just want someone to talk to. They're scared of the afterlife. They're lonely."

She slowly shook her head. "Are you afraid of death?"

"Sometimes."

"You're too young to worry about things like that. You have your entire life ahead of you." She tilted her head to the side. "Do you get lonely?"

"Yes." She seemed to draw into herself. "No one likes me. They think I'm weird. They call me names."

"_I _like you, which is why I'm going to do everything I can to help you." Her face turned serious. "But Jazmine, in order for me to help you, you have to stop lying to me. You have to admit that none of this is real."

"It _is _real!"

"If it were real," She replied casually. "Then you'd be able to prove it."

Jazmine started to open her mouth, but she suddenly stopped. Her eyes fell on a picture of a little blond haired girl that sat in a frame on the therapist's desk. They widened. The therapist noticed her gaze and stared towards the picture as well. She smiled once again.

"You like the picture?"

Jazmine didn't respond. She didn't even blink. The therapist leaned forward, snapping her fingers. "Jazmine."

She finally blinked, glancing back to the therapist.

"Do you like the picture?" She repeated. Jazmine took a deep breath.

"I know that girl."

The therapist frowned. "You don't."

Jazmine nodded. "I do."

The therapist forced a smile. "You don't." She picked up the picture with gentle fingers, holding it in her lap. "She's not with us anymore."

"I know." Jazmine paused. "She drowned. Right?"

The picture frame crashed to the carpeted floor, the glass cracking. The therapist slowly stared at Jazmine, who was staring calmly at her with unblinking eyes.

"How did you know that?" Her voice had lost all composure and had a slight tremor. "Who told you?"

Jazmine slowly lifted a tiny finger, pointing to the broken frame. "She did."

"Jazmine, _stop it_." Her voice was firm. "It's not real."

"Her name was Bonnie, and she was ten."

"Jazmine!"

"She was at the beach," Jazmine went on as if she hadn't heard her. "She had a younger brother named Matthew, your son. You were so busy watching after him that you didn't realize she'd gotten out too far into the water until it was too late."

The therapist was speechless. Jazmine rubbed her lips together before speaking again.

"She wants you to stop blaming yourself."

"Jazmine."

"She said it wasn't your fault-"

"Stop it." She held up a hand and Jazmine stopped talking. "Jazmine…how did you know that?"

"I _told _you." She pointed to the frame. "Bonnie told me!"

"That's impossible, and you know it." The woman was visibly shaking, trying to hold in her grief. "That's not very nice, to lie about something so serious."

"I'm not lying!" Tears were dancing on her eyelashes. "She came to me!"

"You have an overactive imagination-"

"You took her death hard because she was your only daughter!" Jazmine shouted over her. "You went through three miscarriages and a stillbirth before she was born!"

The therapist froze. Jazmine scooted to the edge of her chair, the tears spilling down her cheeks, her eyes filled with desperation. She put a hand over her mouth, her own eyes watering.

Outside the windows, even outside the office, there was noise. There, it was only silence, the silence of a realization, the wait for judgment.

"So." Jazmine's small hands griped the armrests of her chair, so hard that her knuckles turned white. The therapist could only blink at her.

"Do you believe me now?"

* * *

In case some people are freaking the hell out (you'd be surprised), this is indeed before Jazmine moves to Woodcrest. Don't message me about it. I will jack you up. Haha.  
Feeling it? Hating it? Want more? Want to punch me in the face for wasting your time? Well, tell me in a review!  
Don't act like you have anything better to do. You're _reading _for fun. :P

-Kelsey


	2. First Day

Yay another update! Yeah...

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Boondocks. Duh._

* * *

First Day

_September 7, 2010_

It was the first day of school, and it was raining.

"Riley." Sixteen year old Huey Freeman sighed, jingling his car keys in his right hand as he stood in the doorway of his younger brother, Riley Freeman's, room. The room was so dark and messy that it was hard to spot his cornrow wearing sibling, save the brown foot that stuck out from a mass of covers on the bed. His bed, his floor, his desk was so full of _crap _it was a miracle anyone could breathe in there. "Riley!" When all he got was a heavy grunt in response he sighed again. "Come on. We have to go to school."

"Don' wanna."

"Weren't you the one excited for high school?"

"Why tha hell ima be excited fo school fo?" Riley mumbled back. "Nigga you _stupid_."

Even with Riley entering his first year of high school, not much had changed. Wonderful.

Huey sucked his teeth. "If you're not ready in ten minutes, you're walking." He shook his head. "I'm not going to break my neck trying to get you to school. I have things to do."

"Like what, be a nerd?" Riley's voice was muffled. "I gots betta things to do. Like worry bout dat paper."

"You have to learn how to _count _money before you can make it!" Huey pointed out. "Which means, you know, _finally _getting past Algebra foundations-"

"Shut up!" Riley bolted up at that, blinking at his older brother with drowsy hazel eyes. "It's hard as shit, man!"

"Then get help!" Huey tapped his forehead with his index finger. "Tutoring? Asking the teacher questions? Not skipping school every other day? Those things help."

"Man, _get out_!" Riley threw a pillow at Huey's head. He ducked, watching it sail behind him into the hallway. He shrugged, turning on his heel.

"Whatever." He shut the door behind him. "Have fun walking in the rain." No sooner than him closing the door did he turn around to see Grandad glaring down at him, making him jump back and smack into the door.

"Grandad!" Huey rubbed the back of his head, glaring. "Can I _help _you?"

"Boy!" Grandad pointed down the stairs, not exactly looking too incriminating in his blue stripped pajamas. "Who the _hell _left the light in the hallway on all night?"

"What? I don't know!" Huey shrugged. "If you just woke up then how do you know it was on all night?"

"Because!" He snapped. "It was on when I went to bed last night, and it was on when I went downstairs just now to get some orange juice! I'm tryin to get my full day supply of vitamin C and gotta worry about my lights getting shut off when I get a ridiculous light bill I can't pay because ya'll knuckleheads are too damn lazy to flip a switch when you leave the room-"

"Grandad." Huey blinked at him. "Who was the last one to come upstairs last night?"

"Well, let's see." He stroked his chin. "You went to bed first, Riley went upstairs around eleven to talk to that Keisha girl…oh!" He snapped his fingers. _"I _left the light on!"

Huey sighed. "Glad we got that straightened out." He started for the stairs. "I'm gone."

"Wait!" When Huey stopped, another loud sigh emitting from his mouth, Grandad went on. "Aren't you takin Riley's ass with you?"

"He won't get up."

"Why?"

"He's your grandson, ask him!" Huey rolled his eyes. "All he did last night when I offered him a ride was talk about how whack I was for having a provisional license instead of a full one. And when I explained how that's how it is for anyone until they turn eighteen he burped and told me to stop blocking the TV." He shrugged. "So if he wants to walk since he's too good to ride with me, then that's not my problem."

Grandad blinked; he obviously hadn't been paying his eldest grandson any mind. "What?"

Huey groaned, continuing down the stairs. "Bye, Grandad."

Huey grumbled more as he went into the kitchen, dropping his keys on the counter and opening the refrigerator to find something to drink. He hated school. It wasn't the actual learning part he hated, it was more of the being surrounded by _other people _part that he couldn't stand. Maybe if they were intellectual freethinkers like himself it wouldn't be so bad. At Ed Wuncler Senior High School, however, he'd be lucky if he found someone who knew what continent China was in.

"OW!" He suddenly heard from the ceiling, which made him raise his head and lift his eyes above his head. He could hear yelling, followed by hurried footsteps and the slam of a door. Well. Riley was up. Grandad and Riley fighting every morning was practically expected, along with the arguments over who got the last of the orange juice and who had skimped on washing the dishes the night before. He grabbed a bottle of water and let the refrigerator door swing shut, got a banana out the fruit bowl, picked up his car keys, and started for the front door. He started to yell that he was leaving, realized that neither Grandad nor Riley would hear him or care, and shrugged, pulling open the door.

He was greeted by a face full of water. There was nothing like a late summer rainstorm on the first day of school to make you realize how much you just wanted to graduate already. Good thing he was graduating a year early.

"And my last one hundred and eighty days of high school…starts _now_," He mumbled, feeling a bit more motivated by that fact. He stepped into the rain and slammed the front door behind him.

_---_

It was the first day of school…and it was raining.

Fifteen year old Jazmine DuBois groaned aloud as she stood in the doorway, examining the heavy downpour. Not only were her parents already gone for work but she'd overslept and had already missed the bus. Cindy would have come to get her, but she lived on the opposite side of town and wasn't even supposed to be driving herself being that she only had her learner's permit. However, she'd decided that driving the new car she'd gotten for her sixteenth birthday to school was worth the risk.

Jazmine sighed. School was about two miles and some change away so if she ran some of the way she'd be able to make it before the first bell rang, which was in thirty minutes.

Which, just wasn't going to happen. She was a high school student, not freaking Flo Jo.

"This _sucks_!" Jazmine yelled aloud to no one in particular as she threw herself outside before she could change her mind, pulling her hood as tightly as she could over her head and locking the front door. She tossed her light backpack over her shoulders and stuck her hands in the pockets of her raincoat as she rushed down the driveway, already soaked. She needed a car. Better yet, she needed a damn license. Her sixteenth birthday was in two days so she wouldn't have to wait much longer to take her road test, but that didn't exactly help her _now_.

To make matters worse, as she reached the corner and paused to wait for a car to pass by, another truck suddenly sped past as well, its back tires causing water from a massive puddle to spray her. "Ahhh!" Jazmine yelled, stomping her foot as the guy drove off, not even noticing the pain and suffering he was inflicting. She glanced down at her soaked through, muddy clothes, resisting the urge to run after the car with a crowbar and smash his windows in. After all, that wouldn't do much other than get her shipped to Juvie. "Son of a-"

"Need a ride?" A sudden voice called out from her left. She jumped and whirled around to see her neighbor, Huey Freeman, staring at her from the driver's side of his car, the passenger window open. He'd somehow managed to pull up to the side of the road without her even noticing, and that was a hard thing to do. Then again, it wasn't so difficult to be distracted when you were just hit with a waterfall of rainwater. He was smirking, probably from witnessing her mini tantrum. Judging by how soaked through his t shirt was, she didn't see why he found it to be so funny.

Wait a minute…had he just asked her if she wanted a ride? Jazmine looked behind her shoulder to make sure she wasn't mistaken and that he wasn't directing his comment towards some other possibly invisible person, then back at him questioningly.

Was he talking to _her_?

As if reading her mind he rolled his eyes, resting his elbow on the steering wheel.

"I wasn't going to just drive by without asking," He said, already settling back in his seat. "But if you want to walk-"

"No thank you!" She replied hurriedly, practically throwing open his door and settling in the front seat, cringing at how wet she was and how she was probably going to soak everything in his car. He didn't seem too bothered by it and instead rolled the window back up before shifting into drive and starting down the road. He squinted through the heavy rain, his windshield wipers on high and his eyes narrowed in concentration. Jazmine started to ask how he was driving already before silently remembering that his birthday had been in February. She flipped her hood down, wincing as she examined the ends of her wet, stringy hair, which was already beginning to curl. If she was lucky, the humidity would be minimal and the curls would stay.

Then again, since she was never lucky, it would probably be humid as hell later and her hair would turn into a massive puff ball.

She'd spent three hours the night before straightening her hair only for _this _to happen? Perfect. She could look like a wet dog and smell like one, too. She flopped back in her seat, sighing. At least she was good at _something_.

"Thanks for the ride," She said quietly, looking out the passenger window. He shrugged.

"No problem."

Little did he know it was a problem. A big problem. Once upon a time Jazmine had done nothing but try and make excuses to hang out with him. She'd followed him around like some lovesick puppy. They'd been friends, good friends.

And then, things had changed and she'd started avoiding him. She'd gotten bogged down with certain…responsibilities that no one could possibly understand but herself. There were rules, unwritten guidelines that she had to follow, and she couldn't be close to him. Not when one of the most important things she had to do was keep people ignorant.

Heh. Huey Freeman, ignorant. Who would thought he and that word could even be in the same category?

Sure they had the occasional conversation and were civil towards each other but he probably wouldn't consider her a friend. Not that she blamed him. It wasn't like she had too many friends to begin with, especially not when she'd dropped all her friends and started to keep to herself. Most people, nice people, called her introverted. Others, meaner people, called her a freak.

And not the good kind, either.

"Nice weather," Huey commented, not even glancing over. Jazmine snorted.

"Yup." Her jeans were sticking to her thighs from the water. It was really annoying. It was just a good thing that it wasn't cold outside yet or she'd be done for.

Considering what she was, it was a shame that these kinds of things happened to her so often.

"Ready for school?" She heard herself asking, mentally face palming herself. Honestly, who _asked _that anymore?

"Yeah," Huey mumbled, practically under his breath. "Ready for it to be over." Jazmine found herself having to hold back a snicker. "Then again, I don't have to put up with it as long as you do."

"That's right. You're graduating a year early." Jazmine forced a smile. "Congratulations. I know you're happy."

"Yeah." He glanced over at her. "So, are you ready?" She blinked at him. "For school," He clarified.

She shook her head. "No." Too bad she wasn't as witty as he was. Then maybe the whole thing wouldn't feel so awkward. "You still write for the school newspaper?" Jazmine asked, trying not to be such an anti-social weirdo for once in her life. This was probably the most they said to each other since they were twelve. He nodded.

"Yeah." He looked over. "You still do ballet?"

She shook her head, looking away again. "I quit."

He nodded again, asking no questions unlike the average person would. Little did he know Jazmine appreciated that. She eased back in her seat as they pulled up to a stop light, the last one before they would reach their school. Jazmine glanced out the window, vaguely aware of a prickling sensation that was rising in the base of her spine. She grimaced as the feeling spread like wildfire through her neck, her arms and legs, her fingers and toes. For anyone else it might have been scary. For her, it was just unnerving. She never could quite predict when one would come on. She closed her eyes, feeling her mind flash to another time, another place. There was a burst and a flash, so sharp that it cut through her head like a knife.

_The light turned green and he started forward, only for the unnoticed truck with the damaged breaks to run through, colliding with them instantly-_

Jazmine screamed, not even taking the time to recover like she usually would. "STOP!"

The light turned green and Huey, who had started to inch forward, braked sharply. He gave her a half horrified, half annoyed look.

"Jazmine!" His expression turned into a glare. "What the hell is your-"

Whatever he was about to say went unnoticed as a red truck flew by, catching both of their attention as it went squealing through the intersection, its tires locked and an expression of terror on the driver's face. They both watched, transfixed, as he collided into a fence that bordered the house on the corner's backyard, the entire thing coming down in an explosion of broken wood and splinters.

"Holy-" Huey parked the car and shot out the driver's seat, running past the front of the car and towards the truck. Jazmine got out as well, closing her door slowly and walking towards the scene. She knew the man was alright, especially since he hadn't hit them like he had been so close to doing. But she suspected it would look pretty inconsiderate to sit in the car while everyone else freaked the hell out. The owner of the house, a young white guy with blonde hair who was wearing a blue robe and some bunny slippers, poked his head out the front door. His eyes widened.

"The _fuck_?" He said, reaching the truck just before Jazmine did. The front hood was crumpled as if it were made of thin construction paper and the driver was resting his head on the steering wheel but was reassuring Huey that he was okay.

"It wasn't me I was worried about!" He exclaimed, shaking. "I saw the light turn red and when I tried to brake I couldn't...I was just hoping I didn't hit you. I saw you but I didn't think you'd see me."

Huey looked towards Jazmine and then back to the man. "I didn't," He said loudly so that he could be heard over the pounding rain.

"Well, it's just lucky you waited then. I'll be alright." He chuckled, glancing towards the distraught homeowner. "Sorry about your fence."

"Well, sir." He put his hands in his pockets, shrugging. "It's alright. Better the fence than your life."

The driver glanced at Jazmine. "You okay there, honey?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern. Jazmine nodded.

"Yeah." She realized that she was too quiet for anyone to hear her so she raised her voice. "Yeah," She repeated, louder. He nodded, climbing out of the truck to inspect the damage along with the house owner. Huey stared at Jazmine, who took the opportunity to avert her eyes. There was rainwater pouring off her bangs into her face and she used that as an excuse to focus on rubbing her eyes and _not _returning Huey's stare. He shook his head, turning back to the man and listening to his repeated apologies as Jazmine slowly walked back to the car, opening the door and lowering herself in slowly. She slammed the door and brought her head to her knees, letting out a frustrated groan.

Nope. He wasn't suspicious _at _all. Yeah, right. If there was any kind of justice in the world then Huey Freeman would be completely oblivious to the fact that she stopped him from being in a fatal car accident with a vehicle she didn't even physically see coming. In fact, she'd just be fortunate if he wrote off the entire thing as a coincidence, dropped her off, and didn't talk to her again until graduation.

Of course, that was as if she were lucky. Jazmine sat upright, flopping back against the back of the chair and letting her fingers find the tiny gold chain that always hung around her neck. She let her hand drift down to the jewel encrusted heart that hung down and gripped it, closing her eyes and sighing. She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Huey's return until the door was slamming and he was starting up the engine again. She jumped, blinking and resisting the urge to swear out loud.

When one spent so much time living in their mind, the outside world became so _noisy_.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at her. She had to think for a moment before realizing he was probably referring to the accident he'd barely avoided. She nodded, swallowing and looking back out the window.

"Yeah." She chanced a glance back at him. "You?"

He nodded as well, inching through the intersection, as if worried that another car would suddenly come speeding through again. "Yeah."

He pulled into the student parking lot, driving around in circles to find a parking space. Not only was it crowded due to the abnormally high amount of driving upperclassmen there were this year, but they were also later than both of them had planned on being. The school had been expanded on since the last year, an entire new wing standing prominent against the gray sky. It had most likely been to prevent overpopulation, due to the merger between two school districts that was starting that year. It was so crowded that people were parked on the _grass_. The administration wouldn't be too happy about that.

He finally found a parking space, even though it was practically the furthest away from the school, and pulled into it, cutting off his lights and wipers. The moment he cut the engine Jazmine had already grabbed her backpack and her hand was on the door.

"Wait." She looked over her shoulder at Huey, who was giving her one of those looks he got whenever he was in deep thought. The rain beat against the roof of the car so loudly it was as if he had to raise his voice to be heard. "How did you know that truck was coming?"

Jazmine shrugged. "I saw it," She said simply. Huey shook his head.

"_I _couldn't even see it from where I was sitting. How could you?" His voice was filled with disbelief. Jazmine offered him another shrug, pulling on the door handle.

"It was there." Her voice sounded shaky, especially to her own ears. "Maybe you just didn't notice it."

Yeah, he didn't notice a bright red truck against a gray backdrop hurtling towards him. Luckily Huey seemed to fall for it since her sat back in his seat, looking out the windshield. "I guess so."

Jazmine pushed the door open, jumping out. "Thanks for the ride," She said again. Huey shrugged, looking lost in thought.

"Sure." He gave her a slightly confused look. "Thanks for spotting that truck. I can't believe I missed it..."

"It happens." Jazmine offered him a smile before slamming the door, pulling her backpack over her shoulder and flipping her hood over her head (which was useless at this point) before rushing towards the building.

So _that _was why she'd overslept. If she hadn't, Huey Freeman would be dead. It was funny how those kinds of things worked.

Everyone else believed in accidents. She had enough sense not to.

There were no accidents.

* * *

"Ah! Lunch!" Jazmine's best friend, Jazmine's _only _friend, Cindy McPhearson sighed longingly as they sat down at their usual table in the center of the cafeteria. They let their lunch trays clatter to the table, a noise that wasn't even heard over the rest of the noise coming from the cafeteria. "The only part of school I like." She glared towards a large group of kids crowded around the table behind them. "This merger _sucks_."

Jazmine nodded in agreement, poking at her food.

While Jazmine had been able to let her other friendships fall apart as easily as shedding off an old coat, Cindy had refused to let her go. Most people who saw Cindy McPhearson instantly thought she was tall, blonde, and superficial. That couldn't be any further from the truth.

In reality, Cindy was smart, perceptive, and wise. She wasn't Huey Freeman or Ghandi wise, but she had more wisdom and maturity than most people their age, Jazmine included. She _was _tall and blonde, but that didn't make her any stupider than the rest of them. And as much as she loved clothes, fashion, and boys, nothing topped her love for basketball, or her loyalty towards her friends. Her parents had divorced around the time Jazmine had lost her grandmother, so while others wrote Jazmine off as being "different", "shy" or "becoming a goddamn freak", Cindy had enough sense to realize that she just probably took loss harder than others. When Jazmine had blown her off or purposely avoided her, she sought her out. And when Jazmine had finally admitted to her that she didn't want friends, that she just wanted to be alone, Cindy had told her she'd be there for her when she changed her mind.

Jazmine hadn't questioned their friendship since. Sure, Cindy might not know everything about her like she enjoyed believing, but she was a truly good person. Even if her loud, sometimes obnoxious, and mostly aggressive behavior made people think otherwise.

Especially when it came to Jazmine. While she herself usually just ignored snide remarks about being a loser, Cindy was the one to punch the kid in the face after school or push them into a locker. She might've been thin but she was in no way weak. Also, since she has enough money, good looks, and a new custom-made Mustang with butterfly doors, she was popular enough where too many people didn't go against her. That was probably the only reason Jazmine hadn't been beat up by now.

Which, was a good thing. She supposed.

Jazmine poked at her macaroni and cheese some more, making a face. "Yeah, but it'll be better when we're seniors. We'll be able to go off campus for lunch. And it'll be an entire hour and not just half of one."

"Well, since we've still got another year for that I'll appreciate the simple things." Cindy bit into her chicken sandwich. "What's with yo hair? You look like you gotta shag carpet on your head."

Jazmine started to explain about her horrible morning but was cut off as a lunch tray slammed down beside hers, a dramatic sigh coming from the owner's.

"Okay." Their friend (more like Cindy's friend) Michael Caesar stood over the table, staring at Cindy with deep brown eyes. She looked up at him innocently with cheeks full of food. "Who decided that it was alright to give homework to us the first day of school?"

"Dat 'ad?" Cindy managed, swallowing. "That bad?"

"_Yes_." Caesar straightened. He wasn't even acknowledging Jazmine, which was just fine with her. She took another bite of mac and cheese, trying to imagine it tasting better than it really did. She could probably pour melted cheese on rubber and it would be the equivalent of this. "I've even got homework in _music theory_. Seriously?!"

"Well, at least Hiro's in there with you, so you know you won't fail," Cindy pointed out before digging into her sandwich. Caesar shrugged.

"I guess." He glanced at Jazmine, offering her a smile. "What's good, Jazzy?"

Jazmine raised an eyebrow. _Jazzy_? Since when were they close enough to give each other nicknames? "Um," She said, prompted by Cindy's foot jabbing her shin underneath the table. "Good." She offered him a smile. "Did you have a good summer?"

"Yup! Two words: Soccer. Camp." He turned to Cindy. "That shit was on point. Maybe if you let go of basketball long enough-"

"Hell naw! You trippin." Cindy grinned. "You're just jealous because you're so used to soccer you don't know what a basketball _is_."

"You just keep telling yourself that." He gave them both a look. "I see summer treated you both well."

Cindy's cheeks reddened and she laughed. Jazmine fought the urge to roll her eyes and went back to her lunch as he picked his tray up again, heading for a table across the cafeteria, where Huey was sitting with a few of his friends that Jazmine didn't know by name and a couple she did, such as Hiro Otomo and a loud girl in her English class named Maya. She was flipping her long dark hair over her shoulders, laughing at something Hiro was saying and drinking a diet coke. Cindy watched him walk away, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"He," She commented as soon as she was sure he was out of earshot. "Is gorgeous."

Jazmine looked away from Maya and gave Cindy a small smile, taking another bite of mac and cheese. Caesar was the star of the soccer team and had been since their freshmen year. Now, as a junior, he was team Captain as well as MVP. Cindy, being the sports nerd she was, probably considered that the biggest turn on of all.

Then again he was also nice to everyone, had a great sense of humor, and was extremely modest about his popularity. He was best friends with Huey, so even if he did develop an ego he'd probably get it crushed before it even had a chance to flourish.

"He also repeatedly tells me," She went on, still chewing. "That we were welcome to sit at his table any time we wanted."

Jazmine made a face. "Did he say "we" or "you"?" She crossed her legs. "Because I'm pretty sure he has better things to do then invite _me _to sit with him."

"Would I seriously consider it if you weren't invited too?" Cindy asked back, rolling her eyes and swallowing heavily. Jazmine smirked.

"I'm pretty sure Michael Caesar could ask you to bungee jump naked off a cliff and you'd do it," She laughed. Cindy stuck out her tongue.

"Girl, boo." She gave her a look. "And snap out of it. People _do _like you, believe it or not."

"Yeah. Because _you're _my best friend," Jazmine pointed out. "If we didn't talk I'd be as popular as the guy who shoots his drinks and soups out of his nose into cups for sport." Automatically both girls glanced towards the very corner of the lunchroom where a thin, pasty boy sat by himself. He was pinching one of his nostrils closed, aiming with the other. When some brown liquid shot out a few seconds later Jazmine shook her head and looked away. Cindy turned back around, a disgusted look on her face. They glanced at each other.

"Eww," They mumbled in unison, shuddering.

"My point exactly." Jazmine picked up her fork again. Cindy shook her head.

"You didn't make a point." She set down the remainder of her sandwich. "You're smart. You don't shoot milk out of your nostrils. You're pretty. You just need some self esteem."

"I _have _self esteem." Jazmine groaned, rolling her eyes and stabbing at her macaroni. "_God_-"

"Then how come you don't ever want to go to a party?" Cindy asked in her loud, incriminating voice she enjoyed using when she felt she was right about something. "You don't ever want to go out, hang out with people...we're halfway done with high school! After this year we'll be seniors, and then it'll all be over! And your ass is gonna be all boohoo because you didn't do anything but mope around about who-knows-what all the time!"

Jazmine rolled her eyes, seeing right through her speech. "You're full of crap, Cin. And no, I am not going to sit with Caesar. You can, though."

"Damn it!" Cindy threw herself back against her chair, giving Jazmine a grin. "I was sure that would work."

Jazmine gave her a grin of her own. "I know."

Cindy threw a chip at her, bonking her in the nose. "Seriously, though. This year is _our _year. We're juniors. We're upperclassman." She winked at Jazmine. "When I'm done with you you'll wonder how your ass stayed in your room every Saturday night for so long."

"Come _on_-"

"Seriously!" Cindy pointed at her. "You, my child, have forgotten what it is like to _live_." She gestured around her. "This is as good as it gets! No real responsibilities, more freedom…carpe diem, girl!"

"But I'm _sick_of school," Jazmine confessed, sitting up and dropping her fork again. Cindy took a swig of soda. "I'm just tired of-"

"Man, dis sucks!" A sudden voice snapped, causing them both to jump. Riley Freeman threw himself into the chair beside Jazmine, folding his arms over his chest. Riley was probably the only person who wasn't Cindy that Jazmine was remotely friends with, and that was because he was way too wrapped up in himself to ever notice something off about her. "I hate school! Erry'body was all "Ooh, high school different than middle school, Reezy. You gon get mo paper stacks than you could eva get in middle school, Reezy. And has I got any paper stacks? No!" Riley slammed his fist on the table, causing Cindy to giggle. "I ain' feelin it. Riley Escobar ain' feelin dis high school business!"

"Just give it more time," Cindy said, her voice anything but serious. "It's only the first day of school. And it's only Tuesday, so no one's gettin' paid till Friday. I'm sure you'll be pushing the paper in no time."

Riley looked excited to hear that. "Forreal?"

"For really real. I'm going to a party Friday night where _lots _of people will have paper. You should go, too." Cindy grinned and glanced to Jazmine. "Right?" When she didn't get an answer she leaned forward, snapping her fingers in front of Jazmine's eyes, which were staring off somewhere else in a daze. "Hello?" When Jazmine didn't answer she rolled her eyes. "Come on. No one over there can possibly be _that _cute-"

Jazmine suddenly blinked and leaped over the table, knocking into Cindy and causing them both to fall backwards onto the floor. "Damn!" Riley let out as he jumped aside before two upperclassmen boys fell onto the table, crushing it underneath their weight. Everyone else in the cafeteria grew quiet, their heads and bodies whipping around so that they could witness the two guys roll around on the ground, their hands at each other's throats. Jazmine and Cindy backed away, giving each other wide eyed stares. Riley was laughing.

"Well," Cindy groaned with a toss of her long hair, not even phased by what had just happened. "There goes _my _lunch."

"I'll buy you something else," Jazmine said, patting her friend's hand with mock sympathy.

"You gon buy me sum?" Riley asked. Jazmine gave him a look.

"You didn't have any in the first place!"

"So?" He puffed out his chest. "I'm a growin gangsta. I gotta eat."

Jazmine shook her head. By now two of the security guards had come up and pried the boys off of each other and was escorting them out of the cafeteria. Everyone was back to talking, the cafeteria even louder than before now that there was something new to be discussed. Looking around, Jazmine noticed quite a few gazes on her. Cindy did, too.

"How did you even know they were coming this way?" She asked, standing to her feet. Jazmine looked up at her with innocent green eyes.

"Instinct?"

Cindy gave her a look before shaking her head, laughing.

"No wonder you don't have many friends," She giggled. "You're so _weird_."

* * *

"Boy!"

Huey looked up as he and Riley's Grandad burst into the kitchen. "Why the hell haven't you cooked dinner yet?"

"Because," Huey said slowly, looking from Maya and Caesar, who were both at the kitchen table with their homework sprawled out, regarding his grandfather with mixed expressions of amusement and curiosity. "You didn't tell me to."

"Oh, now I gotta tell yo ass to do stuff!" Grandad shook his head. "Mmhmm. I ain't gotta tell you that I buy you new shoes whenever I do, and I don't have to tell you that I'm getting those expensive ass veggie burgers that you love so much, but you gotta know when to do things for me? I see."

"Grandad-" Huey started with a sigh, but Grandad cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It's alright, boy. Yo Grandaddy can go a while without food." He strutted out of the kitchen, shaking his head again. "I suppose I'll just go lie in my bed and _wait to die_. Shoot, I take care of my grandsons and they act like they don't even appreciate it." His words were still heard, even as he went up the stairs. Even over the sounds of Riley's video game in the other room. "Bet ya'll niggas can't _wait _till the lord calls me home! Nope, think ya'll both gonna inherit something, don't you? Well, psych! I'll spend every last dime so you two will be left with _nothing_! Then you'll wish you fixed your old Grandaddy some food!"

SLAM.

Huey, Caesar and Maya exchanged glances. The door suddenly squeaked open.

"Hey there cutie pie!" Grandad shouted. Maya grinned.

"Hey, Mr. Freeman!"

"Hey Mr. Freeman!" Caesar echoes.

"Won't nobody talkin to you!" Grandad barked, slamming the door again. Huey sighed and Maya looked smugly towards Caesar, who was frowning.

"I'm cute, too," He said in a pouty voice. Maya rolled her eyes.

"Of course you are." She glanced back down to her notebook, chewing on her eraser. "This is stupid. Math is stupid. It should be illegal."

"Whatever!" Caesar snorted. "That's only Algebra 2. Wait until Trig, or even worse." He put on a spooky voice, making it echo as if he were a ghost. "Calculussssssss."

Maya laughed, throwing a piece of paper at him. "Don't remind me."

"You could get a tutor," Huey suggested aloud, not even looking up from his textbook. Maya made a face.

"They're all confusing. They act like they don't know what dyscalculia is."

Caesar looked at her. "Yeah…me neither."

"It's a form of dyslexia that occurs with numbers as opposed to letters," Huey supplied, once again not looking up from his book. Maya threw up her hands.

"Thank you! Finally." She picked up her pencil again. "_Someone _who isn't an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot!" Caesar said defensively. "I'm just not a walking encyclopedia like he is!"

"No, I just _read_," Huey replied flatly, rolling his eyes. Maya glanced towards him.

"Is it just me or does Mr. Freeman seem more…angry?"

Huey snorted. "He's old. He's always angry."

"Well, My does have a point." Caesar smirked. "He's been yelling at you more than Riley lately."

"Maybe he's making up for the time he's going to lose when Huey goes off to college next August," Maya joked. Caesar snapped his fingers.

"True!"

"He is not." Huey shook his head. "How stupid."

"I don't know." Maya flipped through her notebook. "Last year, when I had to do community service-"

"Community service?" Huey gave her a sharp look. "What the hell did you have community service for?"

"Don't worry about all that. _Anyways_," She went on. "I had to work with old people. And you _know _I hate old people."

"You hate all people." Caesar raised an eyebrow when she looked ready to protest. "Don't act like it ain't true."

"I wasn't going to say it wasn't, but you didn't have to be so honest." Maya flipped her hair behind her shoulders, staring back down at her notebook. "Anyways, I had to care for all these elderly people. As you know, elderly people love telling you their life story, like you really care. So I had to sit there and listen to them all tell me about their no good nephews or their estranged daughters and whoever else I didn't give two shits about-"

"Maya," Huey said, sounding like he was trying not to laugh. "Get to the point."

"The point _is_," Maya went on, shaking her head at his impatience. "That old people get lonely. Their family moves away, gets their own family, start their own lives. A lot of them forget their older relatives, whether it's accidentally or on purpose." Maya shrugged. "Nothing against Riley…but he's a complete pain in your Grandad's ass." Caesar snorted. "You're not. You mind your own business, do your own thing…maybe he's afraid when you leave you're going to forget him."

Huey blinked. Caesar let out a low whistle.

"Ever thought about being a therapist?" He asked, pointing to Huey. "Because this one could use some therapy."

"What?" Huey glared at him.

"Preferably shock therapy-"

"Shut up." Huey rolled his eyes as Riley popped into the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator.

"Hey, Riley," Maya said casually. He grunted. "How was your first day of high school?"

"Man, dat shit was stupid." He let the refrigerator door slam shut, opening the carton of orange juice in his hand and drinking straight from it. Maya made a face. "Da teacher talkin bout sum you might need Algebra tutoring. I was like "Forreal? You might need a new damn hairstyle but you don't hear me whining!" Den she gon cop an attitude an sent'ed me to the principal. Like I'm suppose ta be scurred of him?"

"You know," Huey said, looking at his younger brother. "Maybe if you actually didn't focus so much on talking in math class, you'd understand it better."

"I ain' ask yo wack ass!" Riley snapped, gulping down more orange juice. He moved the carton from his lips and let out a loud burp. Caesar snorted.

"Well then," Huey shot back. "I won't ask why you're repeating ninth grade next year." Riley sneered at him. "At least try to find a tutor."

"Gots dat covered." Riley jabbed his thumb across the street. "Jazmine beast at dat math stuff. Her ass already in AP Statistics."

"I know." Huey looked back down at his book. "We have the same class."

"What, Jazmine DuBois?" Maya's face took on a thoughtful look. "She's the quiet redhead who murmurs to herself a lot, right?" She frowned. "My Public Speaking partner said she's crazy."

"Watch it," Caesar joked. "Riley might beat you up. That's his "future wifey" as he once put it."

"Now see, you just gotta go makin stuff up!" Riley shot back, folding his arms over his chest. "Man, I don't like her like dat! Well, _much_,_" _He added as an afterthough, causing Caesar to burst out laughing. Huey just rolled his eyes. "She just do mah hair fo free and don't mind helpin me wit my homework. Somethin my own flesh and blood brother can't do!"

"Damn, Huey." Caesar laughed. "You can't help your own brother?"

"Tell them the rest, Riley," Huey said, narrowing his eyes. "Tell them that you never do your homework on time and wait the night before a test to decide you want help."

"Nuh uh!" Riley's lower lip quivered. "Huey just don't love me. No love for a young brotha." He pointed at Huey's face. "Nigga, you _gay_."

"Get out!" Huey yelled. Riley waved his hand towards his older sibling, taking the carton of orange juice with him.

"Don't think about sleepin tonite, cuz ima beat dat ass!" Riley yelled from the other room. Huey rolled his eyes.

"Last time he said that he ended up in the fetal position in his closet after I jumped from behind his door." He sighed. "It's almost ten, so I guess we should-."

"Well, that's my cue to dip out!" Caesar was up in a flash, grabbing his books and rushing for the door. "Maya, run! Before he changes his mind and makes us start on flash cards!"

"Bye!" Maya scurried for the door. "It's been fun!"

"We out, son!" Caesar sauntered out the room. "Peace!"

Huey rolled his eyes as the front door slammed shut. It was only the first day of school and already there was too much to do. He slowly went up the stairs, not bothering to clear his homework off the table, and walked to his room (thankfully, he had his _own _room still from when Riley went through his short lived "gay-demic"), shutting the door behind him and flopping on his bed. He sighed, staring at his ceiling before rolling over and getting up so that he could close his windows. As he did he happened to look out, his eyes landing on the DuBois' house directly across the street. He could see an open window on the second floor that was lit up. Just as he finished pushing down the window pane and went to close the curtain he noticed a figure move past the window. He looked closer.

It was Jazmine, in a pair of black shorts and a white T shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her feet bare. She was pacing her room, making hand gestures and talking. Judging by her expression and the speed her mouth was moving in she was excited by something. But she wasn't holding a phone up to her ear, and it didn't look like anyone else was in the room...

They weren't exactly friends, but Huey knew her well enough to know that she wasn't crazy. High strung? Yes. Head in the clouds? Definitely. Losing her mind?

No...at least, he didn't think so.

Huey let the curtain close and flopped back on the bed, forgetting Jazmine DuBois the moment his head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Dat borin shit-"

"SHUDDAFUCKUP!!!!"

...Er...thanks for reading. Please, review! ...Pretty please?

-Kelsey


	3. A Spare

You know, the first few chapters of stories irritate me. ...Alright, a lot of things irritate me. But first few chapters of stories is definitely high up on the list. Because, they're the ones where people read and are all "This is great and all...but I want to see violence! High speed car chases! Ninja-Turtle-Samurai-Swords-to-the-death-fights!" (Okay, I don't know about that last one...) Not that any of ya'll are saying that :shoots everyone death glares:, but shit, I'm the one writing the story and _I _was saying that. But you do what you gotta do, you know?

Anyways, thanks to xXMissJanuary1996Xx, Leka10, and someone-who-didn't-leave-their-name-but-is-appreciated-just-as-much for the reviews! Yay!!

Okay, moving on...

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Boondocks. Duh._

* * *

A Spare

"So?" Jazmine looked up as Cindy skipped beside her the next morning, falling in step with her. "What do you want for your birthday?"

Jazmine shook her head, stopping in front of her locker and fumbling with the combination lock, trying to stifle a yawn. "Nothing."

"Bull. Shit." Cindy leaned against the locker beside hers as she opened the door, unloading her backpack and putting her books inside. "What about a new outfit? Or these hot ass shoes I saw at the mall Saturday? Or a boyfriend-"

"_Cindy_."

"What? Girl, I gots the hookups!" Cindy put a hand on her hip and struck a pose. "I'm like motha fuckin Cupid out here. Ooh, are those real?" She glanced at Jazmine's earrings. "You gonna let a sista cop those?"

"Maybe." Jazmine grinned. "Cindy, seriously. I don't want a gift."

"But you're turning sixteen." Cindy smacked her lips. "What am I gonna look like not getting you something for your sixteenth birthday?"

"A really, really good friend?"

"Nope!"

"It doesn't matter." Jazmine closed her locker and leaned back against it, clutching her book to her chest. "If you really want to get me something then just get me what I got you for your birthday back in June."

Cindy's nose wrinkled. "A thong?"

Jazmine's eyebrows rose. "I…definitely got you a gift card along with that Drake CD and three shirts. No thongs were involved." Her nose wrinkled. "Ew?"

"Damn." Cindy snapped her fingers. "Oh, shit! My Aunt Peggy got me the thong! My b."

"Your _aunt _gave you a thong?" Jazmine looked mortified. "How is that even okay to you?"

"Shit, Aunt Peggy's the bomb." Cindy raised her palm towards Jazmine. "Girl, you met her at my thirteenth birthday party!"

"Wait…" Jazmine's forehead scrunched up in concentration. "Is she the one who got drunk and tried to hit the piñata, missed, and fell into the pool where your butler had to fish her out with a net?"

"Yup. That's her." Cindy grinned. "She's got good tastes. I'm wearing that thong _right now_-"

"Ew! Cindy!" Jazmine laughed and smacked her with her book, blushing. She lost her grip on it and it bounced to the floor. Cindy smirked and began digging in her purse as Jazmine bent down to scoop up her book. She suddenly gasped, tensing and squeezing her eyes shut.

_"Goddamn!" Caesar slammed the door shut after climbing back in the truck, banging his fists on the steering wheel. "It's completely flat. This is bullshit!"_

_"Well." Huey shrugged. "Do you have a spare?"_

_Caesar glared at him. "Unless I can pull it out of my ass and do the cha cha slide with it, then no!"_

_"Cha Cha slide? That didn't even make sense-"_

"Are you okay? Hello…?"

"Huh?" Jazmine's head whipped up to see Huey staring down at her, a look of concern on his face. He was gripping her arms as if keeping her from falling to the ground. Which, Jazmine noticed upon realizing that her feet weren't even flat on the ground, he was doing. She quickly regained her balance, her eyes wide.

All this time she'd been good at avoiding him and already she was talking more to him this school year than all the others ones! What was going _on_?

"I'm fine! I…slipped!" She sighed, resting a hand over her chest. Behind her, Cindy was giving her an odd look while trying not to laugh. Huey blinked at her.

"Okay…" He bent down, picking up her textbook and holding it out towards her. She mutely reached forward with both her hands, taking it from him and clutching it to her chest again. He straightened, and after a few seconds she flinched, realizing how rude she probably looked.

"Thank you."

He nodded, shaking his head and turning towards Cindy. Before he could say anything Caesar was jogging up, wrapping an arm around Cindy's shoulders and grinning.

"Don't be tryin to hit on my woman!" He joked, sticking out his tongue. Cindy grinned. Huey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, okay."

"Do you have a spare?"

Cindy, Caesar and Maya all turned to stare at Jazmine, who hadn't even realized she'd spoken until Caesar raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Um." Jazmine tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear with one hand, cringing. "Nothing. Sorry."

Cindy stepped forward, wrapping her arm around Jazmine's shoulders. "Homegirl's out of it," She said to Caesar and Huey, shaking her head. "She's excited for that big one six."

"One six?" Caesar stared at her. "You're not sixteen yet?"

"Tomorrow." Cindy beamed. Jazmine felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. Where would she be without Cindy? Right. The loony bin. "All the excitement and the lack of sleep…she's just under the weather." Jazmine felt her grip on her shoulder tighten and cringed. "_Right_?"

Jazmine nodded hurriedly. Cindy's grip loosened and she sighed in relief. Huey's eyebrow lifted.

"Well, you should probably think about going to bed earlier," He suggested. "You don't want to pass out from exhaustion."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jazmine said quietly. Luckily at that moment the warning bell rang. "We've-" She pointed to Cindy. "Gotta go."

"Sure! Aye yo, Fearsome!" Caesar shouted after them. Cindy turned around. "I'll see you Friday?"

"If you're lucky!" Cindy gave him a wink before spinning back around, grabbing Jazmine's arm and towing her along. "You," She said to Jazmine. "Have a bad habit of spacing out at the wrong moments."

"I know."

Cindy stopped Jazmine, holding her shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Your disease…it's okay, right?" When Jazmine gave her a confused look she sighed. "I mean, it's not getting worse? You're not dying?"

"Right." Jazmine tried to remember what exactly she had told her best friend in an effort to look less suspicious. She wasn't exactly the best liar, but it had been better than nothing. "My…Parkinson's." She nodded vigorously. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Good." Cindy smiled. "Because the way you blanked out back there…it scared me." They started down the hallway again, the other kids running all around them to make it to class on time. "I've gotta go. My Marine Science teacher got hella issues. See you at lunch!" Cindy gave her one last wave before racing around the next corner herself. Jazmine shook her head, changing directions and heading towards the restroom as the tardy bell rang.

The bathroom was cold and silent, the white tiled floors and high, white painted ceilings making her feel as if she were in an asylum. She walked down to the last stall, pushing open the door and stepping inside.

"Jazmine."

"Holy-" Jazmine jumped, smacking her elbow against the stall door and groaning. She cut her eyes towards the woman who was standing beside the stalls, smiling at her.

It wasn't the smiling that was annoying. What was annoying was that anyone else who happened to walk in at that moment wouldn't see her. Jazmine quickly glanced underneath the rest of the stalls and, satisfied that no one else was in the bathroom, shot the woman a glare.

"What do you want?"

"Now. Is that any way to talk to your Grammy?" The woman shook her head, even though it was obvious she wasn't offended. "Shame. I thought you loved me more than that."

"I do! When you're not popping up in the school bathroom!" Jazmine's voice lowered. "It's not exactly normal to be talking to yourself in public."

"But you're not talking to yourself. You're talking to _me_."

"You're _dead_." Jazmine turned towards the sinks and walked forward, turning one of the taps on full blast and cupping her hands underneath the water. "You're not supposed to be talking at all."

"Look, honey." Jazmine's grandmother leaned against the sink, giving her granddaughter a grave look. "You know I wouldn't come unless it was important."

Jazmine sighed, glancing at her. "Then, can you tell me whatever is so important and leave, please? Someone could walk in here."

She nodded, not even offended by Jazmine's impatience. "Tomorrow's your sixteenth birthday."

Jazmine's eyebrows lifted. "Wow. Thank you." She shook her head. "God knows I didn't know that on my own-"

"I'm not done." Her grandmother scowled. "Honestly, Jazmine. Since when did you become so bitter?" Jazmine gave her a look. "Alright, alright. Fine." She held up a hand. "I'm here to warn you."

_That _got her attention. "Warn me?" Jazmine's eyes narrowed. She turned off the taps, never taking her eyes off her grandmother. "Why?"

"I can't tell you." She frowned, her expression grave. "It would be-"

"Breaking the rules, I know." Jazmine rolled her eyes. "We certainly wouldn't want you to break the rules."

Her grandmother gave her a dirty look before going on. "Sixteen is a big age for women in our family. It's when-" She paused, looking conflicted. "Well…things start getting a bit more complicated."

"What, you mean even more complicated than being able to communicate with dead people and see the future?"

"Not funny, bun." She blinked at Jazmine with a serious expression. Although they looked nothing alike, anyone who would've seen her when she was alive would know that she was related to Jazmine just by her eyes. They were the same in every way, from color to shape. The only difference was that her grandmother's were older, wiser. And, to anyone who for whatever reason would be able to see her now, transparent. "I'm serious. You may think that handling your gift is bad now…but it's going to increase."

"It's _not _a gift." Jazmine shook her head, grabbing a handful of paper towels from the dispenser on the wall. "It's a curse."

"It's a part of who you are." Her grandmother's eyes were critical. "Did I teach you _nothing _when I was alive?" When Jazmine didn't respond she took a step forward. "It doesn't matter what any of those…mortals-" She said the word with disdain. "-Say about you. You are a seventh generation seer. Your gift makes you _special_. You are unique and you are powerful." Her words were sharp. "If it hasn't sunk in yet, it will sink in tomorrow when you fully come into your powers."

Jazmine gasped, beginning to choke. She grabbed her throat, staring at her grandmother with wide eyes. "Excuse me?" She wheezed. "Grammy! If they haven't been full all this time, what in the world have they been? Magic tricks?!"

"A normal seer in our family doesn't even come into her power until she's sixteen," Her grandmother pointed out. "You're the second one who has received them before you reached ten years old. The only other person was-"

"I know, I know." Jazmine rolled her eyes. "My great-grandmother, Anya."

"So you _do _listen." She nodded. "Jazmine. Listen to me." Jazmine met her gaze. "I'm telling you this now, because there are already those who are beginning to seek you out. You have to be careful. Trust no one. There are those who would do anything to get a hold of your power-"

"I know." Jazmine took a deep breath. "What exactly…what's going to happen?"

Her grandmother smiled softly. "I can't tell you, dear. It's different for everyone. Me myself, I could only have visions. I was never able to communicate with the dead. Mediums are not very common."

"I don't want it." Jazmine lifted her chin. "Any of it."

Her grandmother sighed, already fading. "It's what you have."

She disappeared and Jazmine groaned, closing her eyes. She heard the bathroom door open and her eyes shot open. Maya Johansen walked in, stopping when she noticed Jazmine staring at her. Her brown eyes narrowed.

"Sorry." She put a hand on her hip. "Can I help you?"

Jazmine shook her head, grabbing her backpack off the floor and sliding past her. "No." She slipped through the bathroom door, catching a glimpse of Maya's confused expression before the door closed behind her.

---

"I'll be glad when I don't have to chauffer your black ass!" Caesar yelled over the radio as Maya glared at him from the backseat of his jeep after school later that day. She stuck her tongue out at him, grabbing her backpack.

"Sorry I don't have a license yet and I live a grand total of _five houses down _from you," She pointed out sarcastically, shaking her head. She tugged on the door handle. "Want to open you piece of shit door_, Michael_?"

"Don't disrespect Carlos!"

Huey snorted from the front seat, looking up long enough to give him a look. "_Carlos?_"

"My jeep's name! Hmph!" Caesar jumped out the driver's seat and walked to Maya's door.

"So…your car's of Hispanic descent." Huey shook his head. "Nice."

"Watch it, Freeman." He jiggled the handle and pushed in the button, pulling the door open. Maya hopped down to the pavement, giving him a mock curtsy.

"Thank you, good man." She plucked him in the forehead and waved through Caesar's window to Huey, who had gone back to reading. "Bye, H.P.!"

Caesar's eyebrows lifted. "Harry Potter?"

"Huey Percy." She rolled her eyes. "Stupid."

Huey waved at her without looking up from his book. Caesar jumped back into the jeep, watching Maya run up her driveway. He glanced at Huey, who was still focused on his book.

"You," He said, causing his best friend to look up. "Need to ask her out. Right now."

Huey raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Yes. Excuse you." Caesar started the engine again. "You're letting a pretty thing like her walk around _single_." He shuddered. "Shame on you, Huey. What is wrong with you?"

"We're friends." Huey shook his head. "Every girl that I'm friends with doesn't mean I like her."

"It doesn't," Caesar agreed. "But you like _that one_." He pointed towards Maya's house. She had already disappeared inside. "You both like Star Wars. You both meditate. She can kick anyone's ass if they so much look at her funny. You both hate everyone and everything, you're both insanely hostile-"

"Ouch." Huey pretended to be offended. "I don't hate everything. Just…most things."

"My point exactly." Caesar pulled away from the curb, turning down the radio so that he could be heard over it as well as the sound of the wind blowing through the jeep. "So, you're saying you don't like her like that?"

"I'm not looking for a relationship." Huey was back to reading his book. "The only thing I care about is graduating so that I can get the hell out of here."

"Okay…but you didn't answer my question." Caesar grinned. "So, you're saying you don't like her like that?"

Huey rolled his eyes. "If I say that there's a good possibility I do have some sort of attraction to her, will you leave me alone?"

"No!" Caesar burst out laughing. "I _knew _it!" Huey sighed. "Seriously. This is _gold_."

"I hate you."

"You don't." Caesar cackled. "Maya and Huey-"

"Um, no." Huey gave him a look. "What part of "I'm not looking for a relationship" do you not comprehend?"

"Okay, you actin like it's gotta be serious!" Caesar shrugged. "It's only high school. It's not like it you two were to date you'd have to get married or anything."

"Well, what's going on with you and Cindy McPhearson?" Huey challenged. Caesar grinned.

"What do you mean? Isn't it _obvious_? Unlike you, I am not ashamed to talk about my feelings. Nope!" He chirped. "I'm the love doctor!"

"Oh, really?"

"Really really." Caesar sighed, turning on his signal light as he eased into the left turn lane. "Now, I must admit my attraction to various women has often been a topic of conversation between us-"

"Since you change interests on an average of every week-"

"_Well_," Caesar said loudly, talking over him. "Cindy's not like that. She's…I don't know…" He shrugged again. "Different. She's-"

"A spoiled, rich white girl?" Huey interjected, opening his book again. "A popular top-of-the-food-chain ignorant lover of negative stereotypes and a female who is deeply misguided on pop culture?"

"Whoa." Caesar glanced at Huey. "Who peed in your Corn Flakes?"

"Cindy McPhearson did." He sighed. "Does she still obsess over P. Diddy?"

"If she heard you still calling him "P" Diddy, she'd have an aneurysm," Caesar replied calmly. "But yes, she still loves Diddy."

"Then I still cannot take that girl seriously." Huey shrugged. "Sorry."

Caesar opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as a sudden loud popping sound erupted, followed by the jeep shaking. Huey dropped his book and the two exchanged horrified looks.

"Damn it!" Caesar yelled, taking his foot off the gas.

"Don't stomp the brake!" Huey snapped, punching him in the shoulder. "You could lose control of the vehicle!"

"What do I do?!"

"Pull over to the side of the road!"

"But the wheel's-"

"PULL THE HELL OVER!"

"AHH!!" Caesar slowly moved the wheel, pulling over to the right side of the road and letting the jeep slow down on its own before slowly pressing on the brakes. The moment they'd completely stopped he killed the engine and both of them hopped out the car, slamming their doors shut and inspecting the jeep to find the problem. Which, wasn't hard to find.

"My tire!"

Caesar's left front tire was completely flat. He groaned, tugging on his hair. "What happened?!" He moaned. Huey crouched down, pointing to the smooth, circular head of a nail that was sticking out the rubber.

"I'll give you a hint." He straightened again, climbing back in the car. He rested his elbow on the window, staring outside to Caesar, who was staring at the tire as if willing it to magically repair itself. "Ceez. It's dead. Done. Finite. Just get in the jeep before someone runs over you."

Caesar groaned, shaking his head and climbing back into the jeep. "Goddamn!" He slammed the door shut after climbing back in the truck, banging his fists on the steering wheel. "It's completely flat. This is bullshit!"

"Well." Huey shrugged. "Do you have a spare?"

Caesar glared at him. "Unless I can pull it out of my ass and do the Cha Cha slide with it, then no!"

"Cha Cha slide? That didn't even make sense." Huey gave him a look. "How the hell was that supposed to be witty in any sort of way?"

"Don't know, don't care." He frowned. "Mommy's going to kill me!"

"Why, because you're too cheap to buy a spare tire?" Huey joked. Caesar gave him a look of his own.

"How could you think this is funny?" He asked. When Huey didn't respond he snorted, flipping open his phone. "It's alright. Cause soon s the opportunity comes, I'm gonna laugh at your ass, too."

"You already do."

"Shh!" Caesar hissed as he put the phone to his ear, shaking his head. Huey rolled his eyes, staring out the window into the bright blue sky.

_"Do you have a spare?"_

Huey sat up, his forehead scrunching up in concentration.

_"What?"_

_"Um, nothing. Sorry."_

What the- Huey's eyes narrowed, then widen as it hit him. No. No way. He shook his head. There was no way that this was what Jazmine had been talking about. Was it?

That was _impossible_. She'd mentioned a spare at seven that morning. It was four in the afternoon. How had it occurred to her to mention a spare, to _know _that he'd need one?!

That had to mean…she was the one who put the nail in the tire? There wasn't any other explanation. If she had for whatever reason stuck the nail in Caesar's tire, or at least knew whoever did, would the air had blown out by then? Wouldn't it have all gone out hours ago?

That was crazy. Why the hell would _Jazmine _want to mess up Caesar's jeep? Maybe it really wasn't her. Maybe it was someone else.

Or maybe he was just jumping to conclusions. She could've meant spare _anything_. A spare pen. A spare shoelace. A spare _tampon_. Something that had nothing to do with a tire!

It had to be that. What was he supposed to think, that she'd known his tire was going to blow out? That she'd somehow seen it coming? Yeah, right.

Huey glanced towards Caesar, who was talking a mile a minute on the phone, trying to get someone to come bring him a tire. He leaned back against his seat, closing his eyes.

He was losing his damn mind…only a fool would believe in such a thing as _psychics_. She had to have tampered with his tire. As much as he'd hate to believe she'd do something like that, it couldn't have been anything else.

…Right?

---

"So." Jazmine twirled her pencil in her hands, turning the page of the notebook. The bright fluorescent kitchen light beamed down on the two of them. "This is an easy one. Five z plus ninety-seven equals three z plus thirty three." She handed the pencil to Riley, who already looked confused. "Just try it. We've done at least twenty of these."

"Who the hell decided to put letters in math anyway?" Riley snapped. "Dis shit hard! It ain't fair!"

Jazmine rolled her eyes, digging into her own folder and producing a packet. "Want to see hard?" She flipped it open, pointing to a problem. "Check this out."

Riley peeked down at it, his eyes widening. "Dayum!" She closed it, nodding. "What is dat bullshit?"

"Statistics."

"Nigga, dat's Greek!"

"What it is, is tough. So suck it up." She smiled as he sucked his teeth. "It's not that bad."

Riley began writing underneath the problem, his face tensed up in a rare concentration that was a bit amusing to watch. Of everyone they knew, she was probably the only one who could get away with telling him to do something such as "suck it up", at least when they were in private. To everyone else Riley was ignorant, ridiculous, irritating. To her, he wasn't nearly so bad. Jazmine stared at her own homework as she waited for him to finish, the words all swimming in and out of focus. She couldn't concentrate. Not when her grandmother's words were still floating around in her head. She glanced at the clock. Six fifteen. Less than six hours until midnight. Her birthday.

All these years, all this time, she was only a fraction of what she could be. When she turned sixteen, she'd develop…what, exactly? If she was a medium, if she was a psychic, if she was everything her ancestors had been…then what else was there? Was it possible that her Grammy was mistaken?

No. She was _never _mistaken, sadly.

"Look, Mariah." Jazmine blinked, glancing back at Riley. "I ain' payin yo ass to daydream. I'm payin you ta help me pass!"

"You're…not paying me at all." Jazmine raised an eyebrow.

"I'm payin you," Riley replied, not looking up from his paper. "Wit my presence." Jazmine snorted. "Now tell me how you do this shit!"

"Alright, look." Jazmine scooted closer to him and took the pencil, erasing some of his work. "Before you do that, you have to-" She stopped as the front door opened and _Huey Freeman_, of all people, walked inside. Just walked in like he owned the place! Her eyebrows lifted. Huey probably hadn't come over her house in nearly four years, except on an occasional basis to borrow their lawnmower or return something his Grandad had borrowed months ago and had never remembered to bring back. Even then, he's never come inside. Riley was the one who came over to play video games sometimes and raid their refrigerator at others. For Riley to be here was somewhat normal. At least, more common than for Huey to just walk up in there.

Considering they didn't knowledge each other's existence too much, he sure was making himself known today.

"Wow. Knock much?" Jazmine tried her best not to sound _too _annoyed.

"Nigga, go away!" Riley glared at his older brother. "I'm tryna learn! And when I say tryna learn, I mean get Jazzy to do mah homework for me."

"Hey!" Jazmine leaned away from him, giving him a look. He sucked his teeth. Huey ignored them both.

"Jazmine." He was glaring at her. "Can you tell me why Caesar's tire blew out this afternoon?"

Jazmine glanced form Riley, who looked just as confused as she did, back to Huey. "_No_?"

"Really?" He took a step forward. "Weren't you the one who asked if he had a spare this morning?"

Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "If you remember, I dropped the subject," She said, her voice filled with irritation. "I wasn't even talking to him. I was talking to Cindy."

Huey's eyes narrowed as well. "Why do I not believe you?"

"I don't know." Jazmine sat back, turning back to Riley's homework. "But it's really not my problem." She picked up the sheet of paper, her eyes widening. "Riley!" She turned to look at him. "How the hell is five plus seven twenty four?!"

"It was hard!"

"That was simple addition!"

"Did you pop his tire?" Huey blurted, causing Jazmine to glance at him again. She blinked, then shook her head.

"No." She turned away again. "Riley…eighteen minus two does _not _equal twelve. Seriously, what did they teach you in Chicago?!"

"They taught me ta be a street soldier!" Riley sat up, thumping his chest. "I was reppin tha Southside! Shit, I ain't have no time for no math! I had my street niggas, my crew, to worry about!"

Huey sighed. "Jazmine."

She whirled around. "_What_?"

"Can't you see we busy?" Riley snapped. Huey threw up his hands.

"Riley, you're the one who just said you only want her to do your homework! You're not trying to learn anything!"

"Did anyone ask you fo yo opinion?"

"Guys-" Jazmine started, but was cut off by the front door opening and closing, her father, Tom DuBois, walking in.

"Hey hey hey!" He said cheerfully, tugging off his suit jacket and glancing around. "Hey, Riley!" He paused when he spotted Huey. "Hey, Huey!" He grinned. "Long time no see!"

"Um…yeah. Hi, Mr. DuBois." Huey glanced back at Jazmine, frowning. "I guess I'll go now-"

"Oh, no, don't do that!" Tom shrugged. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"No!" Huey and Jazmine said in unison. Tom blinked. Jazmine rested her elbow on the back of her chair, staring at Huey.

"He can't stay," She said, glancing at her father. Tom nodded, obviously confused.

"Well…alright." He turned on his heel, walking down the hallway. "It was good seeing you anyways, Huey."

"You, too," Huey replied politely before glaring at Jazmine one more time. Riley, the oblivious one he was, snorted.

"Shit, I'm stayin fo dinner," He mumbled. "All dis learnin gotta nigga bout ta starve!" He frowned. "Well, unless yo mama makin throw up fo dessert again. Then I'm gon hafta dip out."

"You know what happened to his tire." Huey stated it as if it were a fact. "I know it."

"Um, really?" Jazmine shrugged. "And how is that?" When Huey didn't say anything she went on. "Even if I did know what happened to it, why does it matter? What's done is done, right?"

"It matters," Huey snapped. "Because he's my best friend. And there's no reason for you to purposely sabotage his car!"

"I _didn't _do it." Jazmine threw up her hands. "Okay?"

"Then you know who did."

"I don't." She shook her head. "I don't even know why you think I had anything to do with it anyways."

"Because this morning, his jeep was fine. When we went somewhere for lunch, there was nothing wrong with his tire. No nail, no anything. Then, this afternoon, it blew out." He shrugged. "How do you explain that?" Jazmine's face was growing madder and madder. "You'd have to had stuck that nail in there sometime before the end of school, or when school let out-"

"Wrong, heffa!" Riley said, coming to Jazmine's defense, to both of their surprise. "Jazmine was up in peer tutorin tryna help me with mah math afta lunch! _And _she walked straight home wit me afta school!"

"_And_," Jazmine added coldly. "Our last two classes are together. Now tell me." Jazmine leaned forward, her eyes daring Huey to challenge her. "Did I leave those two classes at any point?"

Huey sighed. "No," He admitted.

"And," She continued, not being able to keep from smiling at how gradually annoyed he was getting. He hated being wrong. "Would I have had time to run _all the way _to the student parking lot from where we were on the opposite end of school in between classes, with the five minutes they give us to change classes?"

Huey grimaced. Their school _was _big… "_No_."

"Thank you." Jazmine gave him a dirty look, turning back to Riley. "I can't believe you'd even think I'd-" She stopped, shaking her head. "Whatever."

He didn't let up. "So, the spare you were talking about-"

"Oh, my god…I was talking about a spare tampon, alright?" Jazmine snapped, causing Huey's eyebrows to lift and Riley's face to change into a horrified expression. "I was asking Cindy if she had a spare tampon, decided against asking in front of you two, and asked her when we all went to class. Are you _happy_?"

"Um…oh." Huey took a step back. "Sorry."

"Yeah. You are." Jazmine rolled her eyes, looking at Riley's paper again. "Riley. Nineteen to the power of four does not equal the Batman symbol." She sighed. "I'll give you points for creativity."

"Yeah!" Riley punched the air with his fists. Huey narrowed his eyes at her.

"You asked her for it…when you both went to class?"

"Yes." Jazmine folded her hand neatly on top of the table.

"And…_then _you went to the restroom?"

"Ew!" Riley covered his ears. "Nigga do I look like I care bout her cycle?!"

"Yeah, I guess so!" Jazmine rolled her eyes. "You can leave now. Thanks."

Huey turned on his heel, walking out the kitchen without much as a goodbye. Jazmine shook her head as the front door slammed and smiled at Riley.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," She said, picking up the pencil. Riley sucked his teeth.

"I ain't do dat shit fo you." He snorted. "Mah brotha's just a bitch nigga."

"Okay." Jazmine began to write out another problem and Riley groaned. "Don't be like that. You've almost got it." She made a face. "Well, after we help you relearn basic arithmetic…which might take us a while based on your record…"

"Nigga, you tryna play me?" Riley balled up a piece of paper and threw it at her, whacking her in the forehead. She laughed. Neither one of them noticed the eldest Freeman brother slowly making his way down the driveway, turning to stare into the kitchen and giving Jazmine a wary look.

Her story would've been fine…if she would have went to class _before _going into the restroom. He'd seen Cindy and Jazmine part ways. There hadn't been an exchange of anything, except words. And from their expressions, they had nothing to do with feminine products.

So, Jazmine was lying. She didn't put the nail in the tire, no doubt about that. It would've blown when they went to lunch. If she didn't, though, who did? She had to know.

And if she did know, then why was she being so secretive about it?

* * *

...I can't think of anything clever to say right now. Wow. :Sad Panda:

So, thanks for reading! :D

-Kelsey


	4. Busted

HOLY CRAP THIS WOUND UP LONG. Alright, my computer is pissing off. Those fake ass "virus scans" keep coming up, so I keep restoring my laptop to earlier dates so it'll go away. Only it came back again, so I guess after I put this chapter up I'm gonna be restoring AGAIN...Ugh. Anyways, thanks to Leka10, MizzC, and that-person-who-doesn't-sign-their-reviews-still (lol) for the reviews! Yeah, the characterization in this chapter was hard as a bitch for me, but hopefully I got it right. I know people will be quick to tell me if I didn't. haha.

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Boondocks. Still...GODDAMNIT._

* * *

Busted

The first thing Jazmine saw when she opened her eyes the next morning was a pair of blue eyes on her left. She quickly glanced to her right and spotted a pair of brown ones. Then, she blinked.

"Um…"

"Happy birthday!" Her parents, Tom and Sarah DuBois, cheered, backing away and clapping. Jazmine shook her head, rubbing the side of her head as Sarah reached behind her, grabbing a plate stacked with blueberry pancakes that had a candle sticking in the middle of them, and handing them to her. Jazmine smiled.

"Thanks." She held the plate in one hand, glancing between both her parents. "Aren't you two supposed to be at work by now?"

"We're going in late!" Tom shouted; he was always the most enthusiastic when it came to surprised or celebrations, no matter how insignificant. She nodded and, upon glancing at her father's excited face, rolled her eyes and blew out the candle. He cheered and Sarah rolled her eyes as well, trying not to laugh. Jazmine took a forkful of pancake and shoved it in her mouth. She _loved _blueberry pancakes.

Someone (most likely her mother) had taken the liberty of opening her curtains as well as the windows, so crisp morning air was filtering through the room. Warm sunlight was already peeking through. Jazmine couldn't help but feel optimistic about the day.

Even if, according to her grandmother, it was probably gonna suck.

"So." Sarah sat down at the edge of her bed, crossing her legs. Behind her, Tom was straightening his tie. "What do you want for dinner tonight? Do you want to go out to eat, or-"

"Can we just stay home?" Jazmine asked, swallowing. "Please?" She watched her parents exchange glances, then Sarah shrugged.

"Sure, honey." She smiled. "You're not getting your gifts until tonight, though."

Jazmine rolled her eyes. "No fair." She took another bite. "Can I get a ride to school today?"

"No can do." Tom checked his watch. "I'm late enough as it is." He sped over and kissed Jazmine forehead before rushing out the door. "Love you!"

"Bye, dad!" Jazmine yelled. She glanced towards her mom, who was getting up as well. "Well, can _you _give me a ride?"

Sarah laughed. "I would if you were ready to go now." She gestured towards her daughter. "But you're nowhere close. I've got to go, too."

Jazmine waved her hand. "Fine. Bye, mom."

"Bye, sweetie." She walked out the door, pausing at the doorway. "Have a great day."

"You, too." Jazmine went back to her pancakes. Instead of walking away, like expected, Sarah suddenly stepped back into the room.

"And honey?" Jazmine looked up. "Just…be careful today."

Jazmine nodded. "Okay."

"I mean it." Sarah wrung her hands. "It's just…well." She cleared her throat. "Things aren't always the way they seem." She nodded. "Remember that."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow, swallowing. "Well…okay." She cut herself more pancake. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sarah gave her one last smile before closing the door behind her. Jazmine shook her head, taking another bite. Her parents and she had an odd relationship. It usually depended on her; the more normal she behaved the happier they were. If she even gave any hint of being the little girl who believed in ghosts and wailed about seeing the future then the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. When she'd been younger, her grandmother had always told her stories about their "gifts" and how their ancestors had been the same way. When she'd told Jazmine that her own mother had these same gifts and Jazmine had asked Sarah about them, it resulted in her no longer being able to spend the weekends over her grandma's house. Even when her Grammy did come over Tom or Sarah was usually around, there to steer the conversation away from anything along the lines of ancestry talk or anecdotes about seeing the future. After a while, they'd stopped letting her come at all. She'd moved back to Boston.

And then, she'd gotten sick.

Jazmine hadn't really ever forgiven her parents for taking away the only person who understood her, not even when she was twelve. They'd never shown any sign of believing her; they sent her to therapist after therapist, convinced that she had a runaway imagination. One of the therapists tried to diagnose her with schizophrenia. Luckily her mother had refused to believe that. They'd given up on therapy altogether, instead choosing to ignore her vivid dreams or "wild stories". After awhile, she'd gotten even more frustrated. After even longer, she stopped telling them altogether.

She'd already secretly resented them for that. After her grandmother died…well, it just all went downhill from there. When someone had existed that hadn't believed she was crazy, it hadn't mattered as much. Only with her gone, she'd felt alone and even crazier than before. She'd stopped talking to people. She dropped her friends. She ignored her parents.

Things had gotten better between them in the past couple of years, except on occasions that Jazmine would happen to have visions around her parents. She'd have to make up some elaborate story on why she'd zoned out, or how come she was lying on the kitchen floor, or slumped against the bathroom sink. No matter how good of a story it was, her mother never seemed completely convinced. But what was she supposed to do, tell them that she saw dead people still? That she heard voices, or had visions? No way. Not when she was now old enough to get put into an insane asylum.

She finished her pancakes and set the plate along with the candle on her nightstand, crawling out of her bed and going to her closet. She knew that if she wore something that Cindy considered "bummy" on her sixteenth birthday, she'd never hear the end of it. She yawned and stretched, closing her eyes. When she felt a cold breeze behind her, her eyes popped open. She didn't even have to look.

"Can I just have one day." She turned around, spotting the ghost that sat on the edge of her bed, his hands in his lap. "_One day _where I only have to talk to the living? No dead people?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," The ghost snapped with obvious sarcasm. "Forgive me." He rolled his eyes. "How dare I choose to _die_?"

"I didn't say you chose to die." Jazmine ripped a green and white striped shirt off a hanger, turning towards him. "I simply mean that you're irking my _nerves_."

"You don't even know me!"

"And I don't want to."

The guy tilted his head to the side, looking at her. "You are one mean medium."

"Then go find another one." She flipped through skirts, finally choosing one. "I'm sure there's plenty this side of the water."

"Not necessarily." The guy settled back, shrugging. "Besides, I was informed you were one of the best."

Jazmine nose wrinkled. "Who on earth told you _that_?" She pointed at him. "And if I hear anything that starts with "Freda" and ends with "Alston", I will snap. I really will."

He shrugged, grinning. Jazmine sighed.

"Fine." She came out the closet, shutting the door and dropping the clothes beside the man. "Tell me what you want."

He cleared his throat. "My name is Daniel James." He grinned. "I'm your great-uncle."

Jazmine lifted a brow. "Oh. Well…" She shrugged. "Nice to meet you. But really, I've got to get ready for school-"

"I'm coming to warn you."

She groaned. "Yeah. There's a lot of that going around-"

"Listen." His voice was stern. "Something's beginning. Something's about to happen. It's going to be hard on your, because you're so strong." He paused. "Your strength makes you weak."

"What?" She shook her head. "That makes no sense."

He sighed. "There are…people. People who want revenge." He stared at her. "People who will stop at nothing until they get it."

She blinked. "Why would someone want revenge against me?"

"Not you." He frowned. "Anya."

"Anya?" Jazmine made a face. "Daniel. Anya's been dead for sixteen years. You _know _that. She's your sister! Don't you two…I don't know, have chats up there on the astral plane or something?"

"She'd been dead sixteen years _today_." He gave her look. "Haven't you ever wondered why she died the same day you were born? Sixteen _minutes _before you were born?"

"I don't know." She put a hand on her hip. "Viral pneumonia?"

"Wonderful." Daniel sighed. "Did you even _read _the letter?"

Jazmine's eyebrows drew together. "Letter?" When Daniel nodded she slowly shook her head. "What letter?"

His eyebrows drew together. "You never got a letter?"

Jazmine slowly shook her head. He pointed to her neck.

"You have the locket." He sounded confused. "How can you have Anya's locket and _not _have the letter?"

"I don't know." Jazmine shook her head. "I didn't even know I was supposed to get a letter. A letter from who?" Instead of answering her, he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Um, hello?"

And then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Jazmine gasped. "Hey!" When she didn't get an answer she stomped her foot, grabbing her clothes and heading towards her bedroom door. "They come when you don't want them to and leave when you're not done with them," She mumbled to herself, opening the door and heading for the bathroom. "Stupid ghosts."

She didn't notice the white envelope that had appeared where he was sitting, her name scrawled across the front.

---

Homeroom was boring as hell, especially when it was chock full of people who either ignored you, used to be your friend but now weren't, or simply had heard about you through the grapevine and therefore couldn't stand you…which, in turn, made them ignore you.

Which, she didn't feel too bad about. After all, there were way worse things than not being acknowledged. She could be getting books slapped out of her hands or mean, crude drawings in her cubby like back in-

Whoa. She wasn't going to go there.

Homeroom basically consisted of showing up to the class for fifteen minutes, long enough for the teacher to take roll and say announcements, and then you got the hell out. Mr. Hall, a middle-aged, indifferent man who constantly whined about his ex-wife taking everything he owned and never letting him see the kids, couldn't care less about what students did from 7:10 to 7:25. It was always chaotic. There were the kids like her who chose to try and catch a quick nap at their desks, and then there were the loud, energetic kids like Caesar, Maya, or Hiro who sat on their desks in the front of the room and talked loud enough for everyone to hear. There were arrogant jocks who tossed a football or other projectiles throughout the room at each other. There were people like Huey, who just sat there and read a book or listened to their iPods. Most people talked on the phone, texted, did homework for other classes, or minded their own business. It _was _seven in the morning, after all. What else could they do?

"Hey." Mr. Hall looked up from his paper, sighing when no one glanced his way. "You guys…"

No one paid attention. Some boy with frizzy hair was singing some song about Date Rape. A few guys off the track team were throwing paper airplanes. Some girl who always wore dark clothes and had more tattoos than Kat Von Dee was drawing graffiti on her desk.

"Hey!"

Still, nothing. If anything the noise grew louder. He slammed his coffee mug down on the desk, making everyone look up.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS BEFORE I SHUT THEM FOR YOU, YOU HOOLIGANS!" He screamed so loud that half the class shrank down in their seats. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT! MY EX-WIFE'S THREATENING A RESTRAINING ORDER AND-"

"With your crazy ass? Maybe she needs it," One of the football players whispered. Everyone started laughing except for Huey, who was too busy reading and Jazmine, who was too busy texting and wishing she were somewhere else. Mr. Hall's nostril's flared.

"Alright, smartass." He held up a stack of yellow papers. "Since you want to be such a clown hand these out." He cleared his throat, shoving the papers into the offending boy's chest. He groaned. "What you are receiving are permission slips for an all day field trip that we'll be taking to the concert hall when the opera-" A chorus of boos flooded the classroom and he banged his fists on the desk. "I DON'T MAKE THE RULES! I ENFORCE THEM! NOW SHUT YOUR WHINING ASSES UP AND GET THE DAMN FORMS SIGNED!" He looked up and spotted Huey, who had raised his hand. "What, Freeman?"

Huey lowered his hand, straightening. "It is my understanding that the school district assigns us these field trips to try and give us an enhanced view of various cultures displayed in the form of liberal arts, such as music. Am I correct?"

"Your observations are always appreciated, Mr. Freeman," Mr. Hall said, rubbing his head. "And when I say that I mean they're a headache. _Yes_. You are correct."

"Then," Huey went on, not the least bit phased by the teacher's words. "If this is true, how come we are constantly reminded of the positive attributes of the white man to music and artistic development when African Americans have also demonstrated the usage of musical expression towards the betterment of art in our present day society?"

"Oh, my god. How the hell should I know?" Mr. Hall rolled his eyes. "Huey, if you feel like the white man's trying to bring you down, please go talk to superintendant Martin about it so that I don't have to pretend to care."

Huey's eyebrow rose. "Why do you even teach?" He asked in a disgusted tone. The classroom burst out laughing as he shrugged.

"Because I figured why not make kids as miserable as I am and get paid for it." His tone was dry. "Stephen, I told you to pass them out, not throw them at people."

"Sorry," The football player said, not sounding the least bit sorry. He continued to ball up the sheets and hurl them at people in the class as hard as he could.

"It's another heist! Hands in the air! Wave em like you just don care, leave em there!" Caesar burst out rapping, dancing in his seat to something on his iPod. Huey shook his head, going back to his book. Jazmine put down her phone and raised her hand. Mr. Hall looked up again. "What, DuBois?"

"Can I use the restroom?"

He looked at her. "Do I look like I give a damn?"

Jazmine seemed to contemplate her answer for a moment, dropping her hand. "Um…no?"

"Wow. You _are _smart." He held up a hall pass and Jazmine got up, grabbing her purse. "I guess you do learn something new every day." Jazmine rolled her eyes as she began for the front of the room. "Don't diddly daddly in the halls either, swishing your skirt around and trying to flirt with boys or whatever you girls do all day. It don't take fifteen damn minutes to use the bathroom-"

"Whoops!" Stephen suddenly grabbed the back of Jazmine's skirt, laughing as she flushed and pulled away, glaring at him. "What?" He joked, his friend who was sitting behind him letting out a catcall. "You'd better be glad some_one _cares about what's under that skirt!"

A good portion of the class laughed and Jazmine rolled her eyes, storming out the classroom and slamming the door. She sighed, starting down the cool, silent hallway.

"Hey!"

She looked over her shoulder as Michael Caesar ran up to her, pausing when he reached her. He stopped, putting his hands on his knees and panting. Jazmine gave him a look.

"Um…hey." She shifted from side to side, her hand on her purse. "What's up?"

He took a couple more deep breaths, finally straightening. "I…wanted to give you this." He held out a piece of paper, which she took with reluctance. She unfolded it and glanced down at it.

"Your address?" Her face turned pink. "Um-"

"Not like that!" Caesar laughed, shaking his head. "I'm having a party tomorrow night. I was wondering if you could give that to Cindy, since I'm leaving early."

"Oh." Jazmine nodded, opening her purse and tucking it away. "Okay." She turned away. "I'll do that-"

"You can come, too." She paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. He shrugged. "If you want, I mean." When her eyebrow rose he shook his head, laughing. "Well, Cindy told me that you're not really into the social thing, but I figured I could help her change your mind, you know?"

Wow. A handout. How kind. "I'm not a charity case," Jazmine said. Caesar winced.

"I didn't mean it like that." He smirked. "Come on. We used to at least acknowledge each other's existence. We used to _talk. _What happened?"

Jazmine paused. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty. It wasn't as if Caesar knew what was going on. She nodded.

"Fine." She shrugged. "I'll go."

He grinned, backing away. "That," He said, clapping his hands together. "Would be awesome."

She shook her head, his infectious grin causing her to smile as well. "I don't know about that-"

"You won't regret it. Really." He spun on his heel, heading back down the hallway. "Oh!" He spun around again. "Happy birthday."

She nodded. "Thanks." When he turned the corner she shook her head, still smiling.

Alright…so _maybe _it wouldn't kill her to be a little more social. She trailed her hand along the row of lockers as she walked, whistling to herself. Maybe junior year wouldn't be so bad-

_"Why isn't that kid looking?" The driver frantically blared on his horn repeatedly, slamming on the brakes. The truck began to swerve dangerously over the road as the wheels locked, turning sideways and swinging wildly towards the boy, who looked up with wide eyes, finally realizing what was happening too late-_

Jazmine gasped, her head jerking upright. She was on her hands and knees on the floor next to the lockers, her purse lying beside her. She shook her hair out of her face and tried to catch her breath, the burning headache already beginning to subside. She bolted to her feet, bracing herself against the lockers as she tried to stop her legs from shaking. Her grandmother hadn't been kidding; her powers _were _stronger. They were also taking a lot more energy out of her.

She didn't have time to think about that right then, though. She glanced to the locker she was leaning against. It was Riley's.

Oh, _shit_.

"Riley," Jazmine breathed, pushing off the lockers and running down the hallway, quickly darting around the corner. Was this happening right now? Would it happen later? Had it already _happened_? No, it couldn't have. It had happened right in front of the school. It if would've happened, they all would've heard it, or at least the rumors would be circulating about it.

She ran down another hallway, hitting the main corridor and bursting into a full sprint. She ignored the weird looks she got from a few students who happened to be in the hallways as she attempted to push down the awful thoughts of what would happen if she didn't reach him in time, tried to ignore the aching in her chest as well as her head. She practically flew into the main doors, yanking them open and rushing down the steps. She stopped to catch her breath and stared all around, walking towards the main road. She didn't see him anywhere…She wiped the sweat off her brow, panting. She looked up, her eyes anxiously scanning the road. Her heart stopped in her chest.

"Riley!" She yelled, taking off again for the road. "Riley, wait! Stop!"

Riley was walking towards the street with his hands in his pockets, his backpack slung over his shoulder. No doubt he was skipping class. He was probably blasting his earphones, which was why he wasn't focusing on the area around him. Otherwise, he would've seen the white, massive, one hundred percent visible semi trailer that was approaching. The truck which was emitting frantic honks from its horn. Riley stepped into the street, oblivious to his impending doom.

"No!" Jazmine screamed, pushing herself faster across the grass. The truck was coming closer and closer…she hit the sidewalk and jumped, knocking Riley over like a linebacker. Caught off guard, he practically flew head first across the street, rolling into the grass. Jazmine herself lost her balance, falling to the ground and rolling over onto her stomach on the asphalt. She sat up quick enough to see the truck screeching as it attempted to stop, its tires locking and the back of it swinging around so that the entire thing was sliding straight towards her. Her eyes widened and she brought her arms up to cover her face, squeezing her eyes shut…

And then, a pair of rough hands grabbed her waist, hauling her off the ground. Her back hit another surface a couple seconds later, followed by someone falling on top of her. "_Ouch_!" She managed, feeling the wind being knocked out her. She coughed, her eyes popping open just in time to see Huey turning his head towards the street. She sat up on her elbows as well, her eyes widening as the truck skid past. It seemed to move in slow motion as it slid into a power line, setting off a trail of sparks that rose up as the wires snapped, followed by a banging sound and a loud crack. The power lines then snapped completely, the wooden pole letting out a loud groan and falling on top the trailer part of the truck. Riley, who was in the grass beside them, sat up.

"DAYUM!" He jumped to his feet, dropping his backpack and earphones to the ground. His eyes were huge. "Dat was da power fo half da block!" He grinned. "You know dey fendin ta cancel school!"

"Nigga, you were already skipping!" Huey screamed at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? You just almost got _killed _and you can only think about them canceling school?" He pointed towards the truck, which two people were quickly climbing out of, slamming the doors shut and running away from the mess. One of them ripped out a cell phone.

"How da fuck was I supposed ta know I was bout ta get hit?!"

"Try looking both ways before you cross the goddamn street!" Huey snapped. "That's what happens when you skip class!"His hands were balanced on either side of Jazmine, his knee between her legs. He was so busy yelling at Riley that he didn't even notice. She grimaced, gently pushing him off of her and sitting up as well. She fixed her skirt and glanced towards the school. Already a few heads were poking out the front doors and a few people were even running towards the lines, assessing the damage. Which was pretty stupid, considering that they were still sparking. Luckily, fire trucks were already sounding in the distance. She heard someone clear their throat loudly and looked over to see Huey glaring down at her. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

"You," He said, his eyes narrowing. "Have a lot of explaining to do."

"But-" She started, but he shook his head to ward off her protests. He looked so mad that she abruptly shut her mouth, inwardly groaning.

She was so busted.

---

"You a good one." Cindy was sprawled across Jazmine's bed, reading _Cosmopolitan _and chewing on a stick of gum. Jazmine was at her mirror, straightening her hair. "Let somebody offer my ass a free meal. I'd be all over that shit."

"Cindy, you probably eat four out of seven nights a week at my house," Jazmine pointed out. "What is that if not free meals?"

"Pssh. Please." Cindy waved her hand in her direction. "I might as well live here. That don't count."

That was pretty much true. Cindy was over so often that she had her own place set at the table. Half of the contents that were in Jazmine's bathroom belonged to Cindy. She even had clothes in the guest room closet! Why Cindy would want to spend most her time at Jazmine's house as opposed to her own mansion-like house where she could be waited on hand and foot if she desired was beyond her.

"Can you change the song or what?" Cindy asked, her nose wrinkling as Usher suddenly came on the radio. Jazmine's eyes widened.

"No!" She rolled her eyes, turning back to the mirror. "Why would you even ask me that?"

"Fine." Cindy sat up, spreading her legs out so that she could examine her feet. Her wavy blonde hair fell over her shoulders. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry. She's probably almost done, anyways." Jazmine turned off her straightener, shaking her now straight hair and smiling sweetly at her best friend. "Well?"

Cindy smirked. "At least you don't look like something off Sesame Street anymore."

Jazmine threw a hair clip at her, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Shut up."

Downstairs the doorbell rang. Cindy frowned, glancing towards the window. "Is anyone else supposed to be coming?" She asked. Jazmine made a face.

"Yeah. My cousins Demetria and Druscilla." She sighed. "They hate me."

"Then…why did your mom invite them?" Cindy asked, making a face of her own. Jazmine shrugged.

"She figured that since they live a few towns over that we should be close to them since they're family." She shoved her feet into a pair of flip flops and tucked her hands in the pockets of the black basketball shorts she stole from Cindy. Cindy snorted, getting up so that she could peek out the window. Her eyes narrowed.

"Okay…" She turned to look at Jazmine. "So if this is supposed to be a family thing then why is Huey, Riley, and they granddad coming up the driveway?"

Jazmine's jaw dropped. "What?!" She ran over to Cindy's side, peeking out as well. Sure enough, Grandad, followed by Huey and Riley, were walking up! She blinked. Cindy gave her a look.

"I mean, didn't you and Huey stop being friends a few years back or something?"

"Yeah." Jazmine snorted. "Mr. Freeman's probably making them come. Mom probably invited them to be nice."

"Wow." Cindy laughed as the doorbell rang again. "Tonight should be interesting." The doorbell rang and she flounced out of the room. "I'm going downstairs!"

Jazmine turned away from the window, ringing her hands. Damn it. She'd luckily gotten away from Huey when Cindy had snuck out of school during the whole thing with the power lines and picked Jazmine up so that they could both go downtown for the rest of the day. After all, as Cindy put it, "Ain't nobody trying to sit in a dark ass school all day. Fuck that".

Huey couldn't prove _anything_. Jazmine tried to convince herself that as she pulled on the ends of her bright red t shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles with her palms. She glanced in the mirror. Other than her hair, she looked like a straight bum. _Good. _That's exactly what her parents would get for inviting a whole bunch of people she didn't even _like _to her birthday dinner.

Alright, so she did like Riley. And Mr. Freeman was perfectly fine.

But her snotty cousins and nosy Huey? On the real, they could carry their asses.

Jazmine started to walk out the room, pausing as she noticed a white envelope lying on the floor. She squinted at it, crouching down to examine it. Had that been there all afternoon? How had she not noticed it? Shrugging, she reached for it, touching it with the tips of her fingers.

_Fire. There was fire, and it was everywhere._

_"Run!" The man was shoving at the woman, his eyes wide. Her own eyes were filled with tears. "You have to leave! Before it's too late!"_

_She shook her head, her hazel eyes spilling over. "Matthew-"_

_"GO!"_

_She gave him one last tearful look, then turned on her heel, running away and never looking back._

Jazmine looked up to see the ceiling over her head. She took a deep breath, glancing around her room. She sat up, then flopped back down to the ground to get over the dizziness that seemed to smack into her like a freight train. "Whoa."

That…was _weird_. Jazmine blinked, her eyes narrowing. Was that vision brought on by _touching _something?

Whoa! Jazmine bolted up at that one. As a matter of fact…she'd gotten the vision about Riley after touching his locker that morning! Not only were her premonitions stronger, but…she could touch something to trigger one?

Geez. Her grandmother hadn't been kidding.

"Jazmine!" She heard her mother yell up the stairs. "Dinner!"

Jazmine pushed herself to her feet, her hand going to her head. They were stronger, alright. Stronger, and more painful.

"Coming!" She yelled, glancing at the still unopened envelope. Too scared to touch it again she slowly pushed it under her bed with her foot, deciding to open it after dinner. As she head out her room, she thought back to what she saw.

There'd been a cabin on fire. The people that had been around it, the two that she saw, had been dressed in old fashioned clothes. The colors…they'd been different. Older. As if what she saw had already happened. Did she really see something from the _past_?

That had never happened before. She paused on the steps, grimacing.

Hopefully, these new "quirks" were all that she'd get. As she jogged down the stairs, she couldn't help but think that there was more to come.

---

She was avoiding him.

He could tell. She didn't acknowledge him, except giving him a nod hello when she'd sat at the table. She talked to Cindy, who sat on one side, and Riley, who sat on her other side. She didn't look at him. If their eyes happened to meet she'd quickly look elsewhere. Homegirl was acting suspicious.

Well, _good_. Because he hadn't forgotten what he'd seen.

After Jazmine had left the classroom, Huey had been sent to make copies of the emergency contact information forms that their homeroom teacher had given out. So when he'd stepped into the hallway to see Jazmine on the floor, he'd started to go see if she was okay. But then she'd gotten up. And she ran away.

At first he'd shrugged it off as nothing more than her acting like a nutcase, until he'd seen her purse lying on the floor. So he'd scooped it up and, even though he usually didn't do that sort of thing, followed her. After all, what was so important that she'd forgotten her bag? Of course, when he'd gotten to the front steps and spotted her running across the front field to stop Riley from being hit, he thought she was running after him so that she could skip, too. But then, he'd seen the truck. He'd seen Riley _not _seeing the truck as he stepped into the street. And he'd seen Jazmine, who seemed to have _known _about the truck before it even came.

On one side, she'd saved his brother's life (even though Huey had ended up having to save _her _life in the process) and he should've been grateful for that. On the other side…

What the _hell _was going on with that girl?!

That was probably the only reason he hadn't objected when Grandad had told him and Riley that Sarah had invited them over for dinner. Just so he could get to the bottom of this.

"Man, where's da cake at?" Riley asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Did yo ass buy the cake?"

"Hol up, hol up." Riley gave her a look. "Excuse me. Was I talkin ta you?"

"Do I care if you were?" Cindy asked, flipping her hair. Druscilla and Demetria, Jazmine's cousins, snorted.

"Screw cake." Jazmine glanced at her parents. "Can I have my gifts?"

"You know," Robert Freeman said, pointing his fork towards an old framed picture on the wall. "She sure does look familiar."

"Really?" Sarah glanced at the picture as well. "That's my grandmother."

"Hmm." Grandad stroked his chin. "Could've sworn I knew her."

"Unless you were in Louisiana before 1924, then you didn't." She laughed. "I don't even think you were alive then!"

"Damn." Riley tore at his napkin. "Dat broad old."

"Boy!" Robert shook his head, sighing. "Louisiana, huh?"

"Yeah!" Tom set down his water, getting the excited look he got when he was about to tell a story. "Sarah's got an interesting family history."

"But I'm sure no one wants to hear about it, _Tom_," Sarah said in a dangerous voice. A dangerous voice he obviously missed, since he went on.

"Sarah's great-grandmother was an immigrant from Ireland," He said, staring at Robert. Everyone else looked between them. "She moved to New Orleans in 1899. In 1902 she moved to the bayou because it turned out she'd been with a black man and was exiled by the townspeople."

"So let me guess." Huey's tone was flat. "The man got lynched."

"Well…" Tom grimaced. "Yeah."

Huey rolled his eyes. "Figures. Well, my interest in this story's already gone-"

"Boy!" Robert said in his warning voice.

"Anyways," Tom went on. "Her daughter, Anya, was biracial. So-"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Riley sat up straight, looking as if he were trying to keep from laughing. "So she-" He pointed to Sarah. "Her pasty, lily white, Casper ass is part black?!" He laughed. "What's next? Lebron James took ballet?"

"Riley, I swear-" Grandad started, but was cut off by Tom.

"Actually, Riley," He said, his elbow resting on the table. "Our entire country is made up of immigrants. Did you know that fifty eight percent of African Americans have at 12.5 European ancestry?"

"Nigga, I ain' white!"

Cindy giggled.

"But yeah." Tom shrugged, still not noticing Sarah's glare. "It was rumored that Sarah's great-grandmother practiced Witchcraft."

Huey's head shot up. Druscilla and Demetria rolled their eyes. Sarah sighed.

"Tom." She gave him a look. She seemed…worried? "Please."

He stopped. "Sorry." He glanced back at Robert. "She gets embarrassed about it for some reason." He shrugged. "I always thought it would be cool to be a descendant of Druids, but I guess that's just me."

"Druids?" Robert's face wrinkled. "Those them people that did all that…boy!" He glanced at Huey. "You're a walking encyclopedia. What the hell them Druids do?"

"Druids were an ancient Celtic people who were given their names due to being seen as wise," He said, sitting straighter in his chair. "They put emphasis on the importance of nature. It's rumored that they built Stonehenge and used it for rituals. It's also said that many of them were seers and practiced witchcraft."

"Mmm hmm. Yup." Grandad nodded. "That's them Druids for ya. Doin crazy shit…shoot, I met a Druid at Farm Fresh one day! Uh huh. Tried to cheat me out two dollars!"

"Grandad, that was a bagger named Havier." Huey rolled his eyes. "Druids lived before common era. They were last recorded in writing around the first century."

"Oh." Grandad scratched his head. "Hmm."

"I'll be back." Jazmine pushed away from the table, walking out the room. Huey's eyes narrowed.

She thought she was slick.

"I've…got to use the bathroom," He said, pushing his own chair back. No one paid any attention as he walked out the room, following Jazmine towards the back door. She opened it, stepping outside and closing it behind her. Huey yanked it open a few seconds later, stepping outside and slamming it shut behind him. She glanced at him from where she was leaning against the house, her phone out.

"How did I know," She breathed, rolling her eyes and turning away. "That you would follow me out here?"

"Damn right I followed you!" Huey snapped, glaring at her. "Jazmine! What the hell?"

"What the hell _what_?" Jazmine shot back, straightening and sticking her phone back in her pocket. She folded her arms over her chest. He squared his shoulders, not letting up.

"You push people out of the way of trucks you didn't even see coming."

"That thing was big as day! How the heck could someone _not _see it?"

"You know that someone's going to need a spare tire before it even blows out-"

"I was _talking _to you two-"

"You stopped me from getting hit by a truck that neither of us saw coming!"

"I _did _see it!"

Huey shook his head. "You're going to have to do better than that, Jazmine."

"Excuse me?" Jazmine snorted, her hand on her hip. "I don't owe you _anything_, Freeman. Especially not an explanation for being in the right place at the right time. I told you, I saw that truck that almost hit you coming. I was talking to Cindy, not you and Caesar. And I was chasing Riley to warn him that his teacher knew he was skipping." She wrinkled her nose at him. "Honestly. What is with you?"

What _was _with him? Why did he care so much? Huey stopped, contemplating. In his head, it had made so much sense for her to someone see all that coming. But what, she was a psychic? She saw the future? Yeah, right. How illogical was that? There was an explanation for everything. Coincidences were a possibility.

But that many? Somehow it didn't add up.

He shook his head. "You didn't see that truck the first day of school."

She laughed. "How are you going to tell _me _what _I _saw?"

"If you were so set on warning Riley about his teacher, then why would you leave your purse?" Huey asked. Jazmine shrugged.

"I was nervous! I forgot it!"

"What, do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, but you're sounding pretty irrational right about now!"

"Are you _kidding _me?!" Huey practically laughed. "Jazmine, I don't even need you to tell me! I already know!"

"Know _what_?"

He leaned forward, smirking at the way she seemed to shrink back, her eyes filled with a worry she probably thought he couldn't see. Oh, he was on to her. "There's something going on with you." His voice was low. "I may not be able to prove it. You might never admit it to me. But I don't need you to." He gestured towards the door. "All the proof I needed was in your mom's face."

"What?"

"Come _on_." Huey leveled her with a look. "Whatever you do, however you know "see" things…you're not the first one in your family who can."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow.

"Your mom looked ready to throw Tom out a window for talking about your family," He went on, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like she didn't want anyone to know. Like it would be bad if any of us did."

Jazmine's eyes narrowed into slits. "This…is none of your business," She said coolly.

Got one.

"If it's not important and I'm so off base," Huey replied in a nonchalant voice, shrugging. "Then why are you getting so defensive?"

_Got one._

Jazmine's jaw loosened. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She glanced away, suddenly finding a section of fence to be quite interesting.

"What I don't get," She said, sounding annoyed. "Is why you're taking it upon yourself to get in my business. Like you're trying to find some big, catastrophic secret." She turned her head back towards him, her fists clenched. "I don't bother you. I mind my own business. I saved your ass _and _your brother's. Why should it matter if-" She stopped, shaking her head and turning away. "Whatever. You're crazy. You're _insane_."

"No." His voice was hard. "I'm perfectly sane."

"Bull_crap_." She glared at him again. "If you were so sane, you'd realize that there's such a thing as coincidences. If you were so smart, you'd go back to living your life and let me live mine, instead of trying so hard to get to the bottom of-"

"Bottom of what?" It took all his energy not to grin at her expression. "You keep saying it's no big deal, but then you jump on me for being so mistaken." He shrugged. "Did I touch a nerve?"

"_No_."

"Then what's the big deal about me asking you questions?"

"The big deal is that you just won't let it go!" Jazmine yelled, throwing up her hands. She let them drop again and gave him a look. It was as if she were pleading with him. "Please. Just _let it go_."

He shook his head. "No."

Her shoulders slumped. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Just admit it." He took a step forward, clasping his hands behind his back. He didn't take his eyes off of her. "There's something going on."

"No!"

"We both know it's true."

"There's _nothing _out of the ordinary going on!" Jazmine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Let it go!"

Huey nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Fine." He shrugged casually. "Okay."

Jazmine blinked. "Really?"

"Sure." His eyes narrowed. "Under one condition."

Jazmine looked wary.

"Answer one last question." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to say something, most likely to tell him where he could shove his question."Just one."

She sighed, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her foot. She nodded slowly.

"Thank you." He took a deep breath, tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "What did Riley get on his first math test?"

Jazmine made a face. That obviously wasn't a question she'd been expecting. "What?"

"Riley's math test." He shrugged casually. "How did he do? You _are _his tutor."

"Oh." Jazmine shrugged as well, not even putting much thought into her response. "He did pretty good. He got an eighty seven." She made a face. "It's probably only because he cheated off that girl beside him, but whatever."

Huey smirked. Jazmine gave him a look.

"But I don't see what that has to do with anything-"

"Jazmine." Huey shook his head. "Riley doesn't take his exam until tomorrow."

Jazmine's eyes narrowed, then widened in realization. "I-I meant his last test," She started, but Huey cut her off, laughing. There was no point in her even trying to make up excuses. He knew, and he could tell by the horrified look that fell across her face that she knew that _he _knew, and there was nothing she could do to fix this.

"There _was _no other test. This is going to be his first one." Huey shook his head, staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot. "I don't believe this. Are you _kidding _me?"

She looked away, not saying anything. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was so crazy, so ridiculous…how could anything like this even exist?

"Look." He gave her a look. "I usually don't believe things like this." Her eyebrow rose. "All those damn fortune tellers who don't know what the hell they're talking about, people who claim they have mystical powers in order to get over on others. It's just a big scam." He paused. "But I remember that time your dad got possessed when we were ten. I never thought things like that could happen either, but I watched it happen. So…" His voice trailed off and he shrugged. "If someone can be overpowered by an evil spirit, then I guess _some _people can see the future." He looked reluctant. "Well...maybe. That, or people are lucky guessers." He snorted at her. "Unless you have a better explanation to how you always know what's going to happen before it does, then this is the theory I'm going to stick to."

Jazmine shrugged. "Instinct?" She tried weakly. Huey rolled his eyes.

"Cute." He shook his head. "Try again."

She gave him a long, hard look. The air was still and silent around them. Finally, she closed her eyes.

"There are rules with this kind of thing," She said quietly, so quiet that he had to strain to hear her. "You can't just go around, talking about your abilities. No one's supposed to know." She glared at him. "_You _aren't supposed to know."

He didn't say anything.

"Fine. _Fine._" She looked aggravated. Extremely aggravated. "You caught me. I see what's going to happen before it does. It comes to me in my sleep, it comes to me when I touch things, it comes to me for shits and giggles. I see the future." She glared at him. "I'm a seer."

He snorted, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

"Obviously it's not, since you were so quick to figure it out!" Jazmine clapped her hands together mockingly. "Congratulations! You found yourself a real life psychic." She rolled her eyes, spinning around on her heel. "You must be so proud of yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You just couldn't leave me alone, could you?" Jazmine yelled, causing him to blink at her in surprise. "I tried to stay out of your way, tried to leave you alone just so I could keep it to myself! Do you know what could happen if this gets out?" She glared at him. His eyes narrowed.

"You must have me mistaken with your loud mouthed friend in there," He said sharply, pointing past her. "Because I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Yeah." Jazmine snorted. "Right."

"Yeah. I _am_ right." Huey gave her a look. "What the hell do you take me for?"

"A mortal." Jazmine put her hands on her hips. "That's what I take you for. It's what you are. And it's what I'm _not_." She shook her head, twisting the doorknob. "It's only a matter of time before you screw up."

"Jazmine." Geez, he'd wanted to find out what was up with her, but he didn't want to _upset _her. He reached out, meaning to tug her back around by her arm. He accidentally swiped at her collar, tugging the golden chain that hung around her neck too roughly and breaking it. His eyes widened. Whoops.

Nothing like breaking a girl's necklace to improve her mood. Jazmine spun back around, her eyes widening when she saw him holding the locket.

"Give that back!" Her jaw dropped. "What is wrong with you?"

"It was an accident!" He snapped, examining the gold locket with curious eyes. Now that he thought about, he hadn't seen Jazmine without this thing ever since her grandmother died. It was always around her neck. Always. It looked pretty old. "So…what does this have to do with your powers?"

"Nothing," Jazmine said, a little too quickly. He glanced up at her, his eyebrows rising. She held out her hand, looking mad. "Now give it back."

Huey spotted the tiny latch on the left side of it, tapping it with his thumb curiously. "So, what's in it?"

"_Don't_," Jazmine said harshly. "I don't open it. Ever."

He gave her a look. "Why not?"

"Why should I?" Jazmine sighed. "Look. It's one of those things. Huey, just give me my necklace back."

"Okay." He hesitated. "Right after I open it."

Jazmine's eyes widened.

"No!" She shouted, but he'd already opened the clasp, glancing inside to see…well, nothing.

That was anticlimactic.

"There's nothing in here." Huey snorted. "Way to get all worked up over nothing-"

_Boom_.

His head whipped up to the sky as a sudden crash of thunder shook the ground underneath them, a bolt of lightning lighting up the sky so brightly it was as if the sun was out. The leaves and branches on the shrubbery around them started to move, then began to blow frantically in the wind, which was picking up by the second. Jazmine came up to stand beside him, her hair whipping in her face.

"What the hell's going on?" Huey shouted. Jazmine glared at him, pointing to the locket.

"I'll give you three guesses, you _idiot_-"

On the word "idiot", the wind suddenly died down and the sky darkened all over again. Everything around them seemed to fall back into its still, silent world, the clouds above their heads even quickly fading away to reveal a star filled sky, the twinkling lights prominent against the black drop. Huey took a deep breath, glancing at Jazmine, who suddenly yanked the locket away from his slackened grip, shaking her head.

"Way to go, Freeman." She turned on her heel, storming towards the back door. "Way to _mess everything up_-"

"Me?" Huey rolled his eyes. "What, I upset mother nature by opening your _empty locket_?" He snorted. "Please. If you think that then you must be crazy."

Jazmine paused in front of the back door, whirling around and pointing at him. "Just stay away from me," She said angrily. His eyebrow rose. "Don't talk to me." She gripped the doorknob. "Just leave me _alone_."

"Jazmine-"

She stormed inside, slamming the door behind her. Huey shook his head, glancing up into the sky again. Great. She was mad at him.

It wasn't like they were friends or anything like that…but her having visions explained a lot. Not to mention she didn't exactly get mad at too many people, so it was a bit unnerving to have her angry at _him_. Not like he'd ever admit it. He didn't even know _why _he cared about her being mad.

Okay, so he'd opened a damn necklace. He didn't see what the problem was.

Little did he know, he soon would.

* * *

Trying to keep Huey from getting OOC was RIDICULOUS. You know what else is ridiculous? Tell me why I googled Miss Cleo (I was bored, alright?!) and her birthday is the day before mine. Weak.

Thanks for reading! Ya'll know what to do with that green button.

And When I say you know what to do, I mean click it so you can REVIEW. Not ignore it. Meanies.

-Kelsey


	5. The Sixth Sense

I had this chapter done last night...but I'm a total douchebag and was too lazy to put it up. lol. OMG, did anyone see the Oscars? I can't stand award shows of any kind but was bullied into watching it with a group of my friends...I'm pretty sure I lost IQ points. Not to mention, the guy who was giving his speech for winning best screen play adaption totally got interrupted by this one bitch. Wtf?! Anywho, BIGBIGBIG thank you to MizzC, Leka10, and xXMissJanuary1996Xx for the reivews! They made me feel all warm inside and stuff. :D

I'm not even being sarcastic. Forreal :) So, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks, like every time before, is not mine._

* * *

The Sixth Sense

Maryland weather was _ridiculous_.

When she went to bed, it had been clear skies, calm winds. However, when she suddenly bolted up at two am, it was as if all hell had broken loose.

The thunder was so intense that it shook the house around her, one crack of it crashing into another in rapid successions. The lightning seemed to light up the sky every other second, as if someone had turned on a strobe light. The rain pounded into the windows with such intensity it seemed like the glass would break at any given second. It was as if the sky was falling.

It was as if someone up there was _pissed_.

Jazmine threw back the covers, sliding her bare feet onto the cold wood floor and pushing herself to her feet. She didn't exactly know what she'd awakened for. She hadn't had a nightmare. The storm hadn't disturbed her sleep. She didn't have to use the bathroom-

The letter! It suddenly popped into her head, making her green irises grow. She'd been so angry earlier that after dinner she'd gone straight to bed and hadn't remembered it. She crept to the front of her bed and dropped down to her hands and knees, feeling underneath the dark bed for the envelope. When she didn't find it her eyebrows rose and she dropped her elbows down so that she could look under the bed for it. A particularly bright streak of lightning happened to break the darkness of her room as she did so. She spotted the envelope and reached for it.

Another paler hand suddenly fell down on hers.

She let out a shriek, jumping back and slamming her back into her TV stand. Luckily there was a loud clap of thunder that completely drowned her out voice so that she didn't have to worry about her parents busting in. She stared in horror as a figure slowly crawled from underneath her bed, the lightning so bright they were practically invisible when they finally emerged. Jazmine swallowed, breathing heavily as the person stood to their full height in front of her, glaring.

It was a woman, a beautiful woman at that. The thing about ghosts was that they could take on any form they wanted. If they felt like appearing the way they looked when they died, they could. If they desired to look like their younger selves, that would work as well. They usually went with whatever form would be recognized to who they were trying to reach. This woman had chosen to appear young, because she knew it was the only way she'd be recognized, at least by Jazmine.

How could she not recognize her? They looked oddly similar.

"A-Anya?" Jazmine whispered, her voice not even audible over the thunder. The figure nodded, her hazel eyes narrowed into icy, tiny slits. Her curly brown hair was pulled back in a bun and she was wearing a long, old fashioned black dress. She took a step closer towards Jazmine, who cringed.

"You _fool_," Anya said, her voice so cold and haunting it sent shivers down her spine. "You stupid, stupid girl."

She was so afraid that she forgot to be defensive. "What?"

"You opened it." Anya shook her head. "You opened the locket."

"I-"

"IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE OPEN!" She shrieked, making Jazmine cover her ears. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! _EVERYTHING!_"

"I didn't open it!" Jazmine yelled back, her hands still pressed over her ears. "It wasn't me!"

"You're right. It was worse." A look of disgust fell over her face. "You let a _mortal _open it."

"I'm sorry!" Jazmine yelled. "I-"

"Not as sorry as you will be!" Anya screeched, making her flinch. "You exposed out secret! You released a power that even _you _can't control! You've signed your own death certificate," She said coldly. "Because that's exactly what's going to happen to you if you don't fix this. You _will _be killed."

Jazmine's hands dropped from her ears. "Excuse me?" She asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "Are you _threatening_ me?" She gasped. "Some great-grandmother _you _are!"

"I am _not _your great-grandmother." Anya shook her head. "I am you, and you are me. We are one in the same."

Jazmine gave her a look. "_What_?"

In a flash Anya was suddenly in front of her, gripping her wrist so tightly that she inhaled sharply, staring up into her ancestor's flashing eyes in shock.

She'd known that ghosts exist. She knew that they could talk to you. In all of her sixteen years of living, however, one had never actually _touched _her.

"We are _the same_." Her eyes hardened even more. Jazmine hadn't even known that was possible. "You are me and I am you." She threw Jazmine's wrist aside, stepping back. "_Do not _let history repeat itself. Do not let that _mortal boy _know any more than he already does." She shook her head, her nostrils flaring. "You find a way to get that spirit back, and quick. Otherwise, everyone will be done for."

"But…" Jazmine cleared her throat timidly. "What spirit?"

Anya suddenly lifted her head, letting out another ear splattering shriek. Jazmine covered her ears again, tensing.

"HAS NO ONE TAUGHT YOU ANYTHING?!" She roared, advancing on her again. "HOW CAN MY MOST POWERFUL DESCENDANT BE SO DISINFORMED?!"

"Um, have you _looked _around lately?" Jazmine snapped. Honestly. She was awake when she should've been sleeping, she had a classmate who knew her secret, and she was in _her _room, sitting on _her _floor, getting yelled at by some ghost with an attitude problem? "_No one's _helped me with any of this! I had to figure it out all on my own! I'm playing it by ear here!" She glared back up at her ancestor, whose eyebrows had risen in surprise. "So you can stop yelling! It's not helping anything!" She snorted, not able to stop herself. "Freda told me you were a bit hostile. She never told me you were such a _bitch_."

Jazmine wasn't one to cuss very often, but she had to admit it felt a bit good. Anya froze. Then, surprisingly, the corners of her mouth turned upwards.

"Hmm." She gave her a glance over. "Maybe there is more to you than meets the eye." She took another step back. "For your sake, I hope that's true."

And then, just like that, she was gone. Jazmine blinked, rubbing her eyes. The storm had stopped. It was so silent around her that it made her ears ring. She rubbed her wrist with her opposite hand, staring down at it. She could see the thin, green bruises that were shaped like fingers, already blossoming on her skin. She shook her head, rising to her feet.

_"This is where it ends." The tall, scowling man stood in front of her, his hands clenched into fists. Anya was standing opposite of him, her own face twisted into a furious look. "This is where I send you to hell with that bastard boyfriend of yours."_

_Anya shook her head, laughing. "You underestimate me, Anthony." She took a step forward. "You've _always _underestimated me."_

_He cackled, tipping the brim of his hat towards her. "On the contrary, ma'am," He said, stepping forward as well. "I underestimate nothing. You simply overestimate yourself." He glared. "You are nothing. You were never anything. If you have any self preservation, you will give yourself over and let death come quickly."_

_She shook her head, her eyes hard. "You should have never come here."_

_He started to respond, but his eyes widened as she lifted her hand. He peered closer, and laughed._

_"A necklace?" He shook his head, cackling. "You plan on destroying me with a _necklace_?"_

_Anya didn't say anything. He wiped the corner of his eyes, starting to move his foot…and then freezing. His eyes widened, then narrowed. He tried to step forward, but his body wasn't responding. He looked up, glaring at her. She was smirking._

_"You bitch!" He reached down, tugging at his leg. It was as if they had been glued to the earth by some invisible source. He looked up to see Anya standing over him, her eyes filled with triumph._

_"It was nice while it lasted," She said coolly._

It seemed like it took forever for Jazmine to open her eyes again. When she did, she had to blink a few times just for her eyes to adjust. Then, they widened.

Bright morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting her room in a cheerful orange glow. She looked up to see her TV looming over her. She glanced to her left to see the foot of her bed hanging over her head.

Did she pass out on the floor?!

She sat up and groaned, rubbing her aching shoulders. Oh, yeah. She'd _definitely _fallen asleep on the floor. She climbed up to her knees, placing both of her hands on the edge of the bed so that she could climb to her feet. She shook her hair out of her face.

It was so peaceful, so calm. Had the night before really happened?

Her eyes flicked down towards her right wrist, the green bruises faint, but still evident. Yep. That definitely hadn't been a dream. She jumped onto her bed, crawling over to her nightstand and picking up her alarm clock.

_8:56 am_

Oh, that wasn't bad. You know, since school only started at _7:10._

"Crap!" Jazmine yelled, tossing the clock on her bed and running to the closet. She threw out a bunch of clothes without really paying attention to them, speeding into the bathroom and slamming the door.

Well…at least it was Friday. So, things couldn't get much worse.

At least, she hoped not.

---

"You know what's great about Fridays?" Caesar shouted, strolling through the crowded main hallway, Huey yawning beside him. "It's basically a "no-matter-how-shitty-things-get-you-have-the-next-two-days-to-get-over-it kind of day."

"Actually, you really only have one," Maya pointed out. "You're forgetting that Sundays are pretty much a-ruined-day-since-you're-faced-with-the-impending-gloom-of-the-approaching-Monday."

Caesar stopped, causing a kid to bump into him from behind. The kid glared, walking around them. "Thank you, Maya," He said sarcastically. "Aren't you a little ray of sunshine this morning."

"Whatever. Speaking of sunshine…" She nodded towards Cindy, who was at her locker, wearing a bright yellow shirt, some skinny jeans, and matching platform shoes. Her long blonde hair, as bright as the sun itself, fell over her shoulder and down her back. Caesar grinned. Huey rolled his eyes.

"Fraternizing with the enemy," He mumbled. "You know you're wrong for that."

"Stop." Maya lightly elbowed him, shaking her head. "What a closet racist."

"I am not." Huey lifted his chin. "As a proud African American brother, I choose to acknowledge and appreciate the beauty of the African American woman over some white girl."

"I can _hear _you, you know." Caesar gave him a dirty look. "Unlike _you_, I can appreciate the beauty of every race." He strode towards Cindy, shaking his head. "Hater."

"You know," Maya teased. "You are being a bit of a hater."

Huey gave her a dirty look. "Am not."

"Are. Anyways." She raised her eyebrow. "Party tonight? In or out?"

He snorted. "Out. Definitely out."

Maya's face fell into a pout. "Oh, come on!" She grabbed his arm with both hands, tugging it to and fro. "Don't make me go alooooone!"

"Um, excuse me." He shook her off. "Who's making you go?"

She frowned. "My love for shakin' mah groove thang," She joked, rolling her eyes. Huey smirked. "Seriously, though. Hiro's doing sets. And Hiro's my homeboy. Can't miss DJ Hiro." Her eyes suddenly lit up and she snapped her fingers. "Get it? DJ _Hiro_? As in hero? Like the game, DJ hero?"

Huey rolled his eyes. "You're the worst."

"Whatever." Maya walked ahead of him, doing her trademark hair flip. "You love me."

"Maybe a little," Huey joked. She turned around, walking backwards to give him a wink. She stuck her tongue out afterwards, facing forward again and disappearing into the crowd. He stared after her, letting out a sigh.

Alright. So maybe she _wasn't _just a friend.

By the time he walked up to Caesar he was saying something to Cindy; she was laughing and twisting a strand of her hair around her index finger. Caesar, being the oblivious boy he was, was eating it up like a dog.

Girls sure did know how to get a hold over the opposite sex.

"Hey, Huey!" Cindy grinned at him. He grimaced back. It was close to a smile as he was getting. "Will I be seeing you at tonight's festivities?"

"No." He rolled his eyes at Caesar's loud sigh. "I don't party."

"Oh." Cindy smirked, poking Caesar's arm. "You know, Jazmine doesn't party, either. Maybe if we put them together they can have their own little pity party."

Caesar smirked at Huey as well. Huey resisted the urge to throw them both into open lockers and trap them inside. His mind briefly flashed back to the night before. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and settled on sucking his teeth.

"Whatever."

"Jazmine is coming tonight, right?" Caesar asked. "I meant to ask her this morning, but she didn't come to homeroom."

"She wasn't in Spanish either, so I don't know." Cindy pouted. "Which _sucks_. She was supposed to let me copy her homework. Now I gotta zero."

Caesar shook his head, snorting. "Now, what did we learn today?"

Cindy smacked her lips. "To ask Francis with the Borat lookin mustache for _his _homework next time instead. What?" She asked upon seeing Huey's face. "I _hate_ Spanish!"

"Uh huh." Caesar rolled his eyes, laughing. "I'll see you tonight. If I'm lucky," He added, repeating the words she's said to him two days before. Cindy smiled, winking.

"You do listen. Good boy." She closed her locker, heading down the hallway. "I might have to keep you around."

Huey and Caesar exchanged looks as they watched her sashay through the crowd. It was obvious, judging from the multiple heads that turned in her direction, that Caesar wasn't the only one interested. "I don't care what you say." Caesar sighed. "She is amazing."

"I'll take your word for it." Huey waved him off and continued to class, glancing out one of the windows that faced the soccer field. He looked away, then stopped, doing a double take.

There was a person, a boy from the looks of it, standing near the school. His back was to him, his jet black hair blowing in the light wind. He turned around, looking straight at Huey. Huey rubbed his eyes, blinking. When he looked back, the boy was gone.

"What the-" He glanced around. The warning bell had rang, so people were too busy racing past to get to class on time. He looked back out the window again. Still, nothing.

He must have imagined it. He shook his head, heading to class. He _had _to have imagined it.

Man. He'd be glad when he could finally get out of that weird ass town.

---

"Okay, where the hell has your ass been?" Cindy asked as Jazmine set her lunch tray down in front of her in the cafeteria later that day. Riley, who was already sitting across from her, sucked his teeth.

"Bout time you got hurr! Shoot." He plopped his elbows on the table. "Made me think I was gonna have ta buy mah own lunch n shit."

"Here." Jazmine shoved her tray towards him, flopping down and dropping her head into her arms. "I'm not even hungry." Her voice was muffled. Cindy gave her a concerned look.

"Um, sweetie?" When Jazmine didn't respond she poked her arm. "Honey? No offense, but you look like you just died."

"Pssh." Riley took a big bite of Jazmine's cheeseburger. "Don' she look like dat erryday?"

"You know, Riley," Cindy said, glaring towards him. "Girls don't exactly like being insulted. Maybe you'll finally realize that when you thirty and you ain't ever had a girlfriend."

"Don' play me!" Riley said, spraying meat particles everywhere. Cindy gave him a disgusted look, wiping her sleeve.

"Say it, don't spray it." Cindy poked Jazmine again. "Seriously, hun. What's wrong?"

"I am tired. I am sore. I am ready to graduate," Jazmine said in an annoyed tone. "Right now."

Cindy smirked. "Girl, whatever." She went back to her food. "By the way, you're staying over my house tonight."

Jazmine's head shot up at that one. "Wait, what?" She rested her chin on her hands. "How come?"

"Because." Cindy grinned. "I'm planning on getting fucked up tonight, and I ain't driving nowhere. So, unless you can get another ride home, you will be walking home with me." She thought about it. "Or, we could always crash at Caesar's-"

"No." Jazmine shook her head. "No way. Why can't I just drive us home? I won't drink."

"Girl, _puhleese_." Cindy took a large gulp of her coke. "You need to get wasted even worse than I do. Besides, I ain't letting you drive my car! You ain't gotta license!"

"Neither do you!" Jazmine pointed out. Cindy shrugged.

"Yeahhh…didn't ask you all that." She glared at Riley. "And I don't know how your mini-me ass is getting there, but it ain't gonna be courtesy of Cindy McPhearson."

"Aw, come on!" Riley's jaw dropped. "You said I could go tonight!"

"I did! But I never said you were goin wit me!" Cindy rolled her eyes, glancing back at Jazmine.

"Okay." She leaned forward, resting her hands flat on the table. "You are getting an intervention."

Jazmine's eyebrows lifted. "Excuse me?"

"No more of this anti-social, moping business." Cindy snapped her fingers, regaining Jazmine's attention; she had started to close her eyes, her chin in her hand. "I understand that you're a misunderstood emo kid, I really do…but, no more." She gestured to her. "For example, what are you wearing?"

"Um…" Jazmine frowned, glancing down at her clothes. "A sweatshirt and some jeans?" She'd been in a rush! What was she supposed to wear, stilettos and a leather dress? It was only high school!

"_Yes_." Cindy practically shuddered. "A sweatshirt, Jazmine. What are you thinking? Now how the hell is anyone going to see that cute little form of yours if you're wearing a ratty ass sweatshirt? And a _ponytail_?" Cindy shook her head. "Girl, you're killin me."

"Shit. Forreal tho?" Riley took another large bite of cheeseburger. "I don' care wat da hoes wear. I care bout how dey look with everything off."

"I don't care about attracting anyone, Cindy." Jazmine rubbed her eyes, which had dark shadows underneath them. Cindy snorted.

"_Obviously._" She burped loudly, rolling her eyes when a group of students turned their heads towards her. "Um, gotta starin problem?"

They all turned away. "Anyway," Cindy said, shaking her head and turning to her best friend again. "After school, you are coming home with me."

"But my stuff-"

"Stop actin like we don't wear the same size, dummy." Riley snickered; he always got a kick out of Cindy and Jazmine chastising each other. "We're going to that party. We gon look fly. And you gonna get a man. Or at least some damn phone numbers."

"But-"

"Don't wanna hear it!"

"_But_-"

"Hush it!"

"_Cindy_! I don't wanna!"

"Too bad." Cindy shrugged. "My best friend is not going to be a social leper."

Jazmine sighed.

Well. Maybe it wouldn't be _so _bad.

---

He watched the boy with critical eyes. The way he walked, his posture and stance casual but his eyes constantly watching. Searching.

This mortal, he was a perceptive one. Then again, it would only make sense that he'd be that way. They did, after all, share a bond through blood.

The moon was new. The sky was dark, the only thing lighting up the empty streets being the occasional streetlight. He ducked behind every tree, every bush, and every piece of shrubbery that stood between him and his target, his eyes hard, his fists clenched. He had to wait. This wasn't the right time. Things weren't anywhere close to being finished.

Oh, but soon, they would be. And when they were, it would make all the waiting so worth it.

The boy suddenly stopped, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed. He seemed to feel the presence of someone else, to have the feeling that he was being watched. He cackled softly as the boy slowly turned back around, continuing down the street towards some lit up house at the end of the block. He turned away from the boy, fading into nothing. He wouldn't be able to win the game if it wasn't yet being played.

It was time to get started.

---

"I feel awkward."

"Shut up."

"I can't _breathe_. My clothes are constricting my windpipe!"

"Hush it, DuBois."

"I'm going to _die_-"

"You are not." Cindy stopped on the walkway in front of Caesar's house, grabbing Jazmine's shoulders and giving her a shake. "God."

Jazmine gave her a dirty look. Cindy shook her head, trying not to laugh.

"Okay, look." She gestured towards Caesar's house, which already had a loud bass pumping from the inside. It was lit up, the front door opening and closing so frequently it was as if it were a major intersection. The light that poured from the window fell across the dark grass in patches. "This is what we're going to do." She straightened. "I'm going to go find Caesar, because some bitch with double D's and a bad weave is trying to get him. And I-" She ruffled her hair. "-am not going to lose out to some fake ass Tyra Banks."

"Cindy-" Jazmine started, but was cut off.

"You," Cindy continued. "Are going to march your make up wearing, high heel sporting, sexy butt in there and be social. You are not to stand by the wall and ignore everyone. You are _not _to avoid the alcohol table. You are _definitely not _to pass up the opportunity to dance with guys. Shit, dance with girls. Dance with the houseplant."

"Cindy-"

"No." Cindy waggled her finger in her face. "This is our year. _Our_. _Year_." She poked Jazmine's chest with the tip of her fingernail. "You look good. You look hot. You gotta work it."

"But-"

"Confidence," Cindy said, her hands on her hips. "Is the best fashion statement there is. If you have confidence then no one can touch you." She pushed her up the walk. "Get confident, biyatch."

"Aw, come _on_-" Of course, being that Cindy was Cindy and Jazmine was…Jazmine, Cindy pushed her through the front door with ease, acknowledging a few people, laughing at a joke one guy told, grabbed a beer that someone handed her, and then vanishing into the crowd. Jazmine's jaw dropped.

Damn! Cindy worked _fast_. Jazmine's face fell into a pout. Way for her best friend to _abandon _her.

This was so stupid. She slowly made her way through the crowd, mindful of where she kept her hands and trying not to touch more people than necessary. Cindy didn't realize this, but Jazmine hadn't exactly had the best day. It was, of course, courtesy of her out-of-whack powers; they were out of control. She could barely graze something with her fingers without being swept into a premonition strong enough to take her breath away. Not only that, but some of them were so _useless_; she had a vision that her Statistics teacher would get a paper cut. A _paper cut_!

She'd usually average around five visions in a day. That day, she's gotten around five visions _every half an hour_. This thing was going to kill her. It really was.

So, no. Just…no. She turned around, migrating back towards the front door. This wasn't going to work. She understood that her best friend was trying to look out for her and all (Well, when she wasn't on a mission to make out with Michael Caesar) but she couldn't do this. All these _people_-

"Whoa! Jazmine!" Her eyes widened as some senior who she didn't even think knew she existed gestured towards her, a beer can in one hand. His name was Darius Long. "Lookin good, ma!"

Jazmine's face flushed. "Um, thanks!" She grinned, shrugging. "You, too!"

Was that it? Should she high five him? Did she ask him how his day was? Wow, since when did she become so socially inept? Better yet, since when did the quarterback of the football team tell her she was "lookin good"?

When Cindy had spent most the evening piling tons of hair products into Jazmine's hair, smearing her face in makeup, and forcing her to squeeze into clothes so tight and _revealing_ that she'd never be caught dead in them any other day of the week, Jazmine had thought the entire thing was dumb. Now, in her (or, Cindy's) black dress, red heels, and a sleek updo she was sure she'd never be able to achieve ever again the rest of her life, she felt...well…

Confident.

Okay. She slowly turned away from the door, taking a deep breath. Maybe she_ could _do this. It was a party. A simple, casual, no-big-deal high school party for casual high school people. She was a high school person! She should be an expert on these things! She stepped past a couple who were up against the wall, making out like there was no tomorrow. Most people were dancing, while others were having drinking contests, talking, or eating. She recognized Hiro Otomo working the turntables in the corner of the living room, his head bobbing up and down in time with the music.

Jazmine had met Caesar's mom before…and if she knew that he was having a party like this, she'd kill him. She absentmindedly fingered with the locket that once again hung from her neck, thanks to her raiding her mother's jewelry box for a gold chain. Stupid Huey, breaking her other one.

The music suddenly changed, the beat much faster. Everyone started cheering and yelling, the energy in the house rising. Jazmine hung back, even though she recognized the song. All those people…all those potential premonitions…

No way was she going to risk going out there and falling out from some damn vision due to touching someone, no matter how much she secretly enjoyed dancing. It wouldn't matter if the Queen of England wanted her to dance! She wouldn't go out there if the world depended on her to-

"Hey." She looked up to see the football player, Darius, staring down at her. He was so tall! She had to crane her neck just to look into his eyes, and she was in heels! She could feel her face warming.

Well, she may have been anti-social, but she wasn't _blind_. Tall guys was a pretty big turn on. Darius had it going on.

"Do you like this song?" He asked, grinning down at her with perfect white teeth. Jazmine nodded, losing her ability to speak. He shrugged, taking her hand and giving her a soft tug.

"Then let's dance."

Darius looked good. Jazmine gave him a quick look over. A six foot six eighteen year old with chocolate skin, warm brown eyes, _and _he didn't induce annoying visions? He was a go. Definitely.

Fine. So there were _some _exceptions to the dancing thing.

"Okay." She took a step forward, pausing when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry." Huey came up beside her, looking at Darius. He looked slightly winded, like he'd just run halfway around the world to get there. "Can I borrow her for a moment?"

Jazmine glared at him. "_No_," She said, glancing back to Darius.

"Jazmine." Huey's eyes narrowed. "It's important."

'_So is this!' _She wanted to scream at him. Instead, remembering that he did have blackmail on her and could very likely feel inclined to use it if she didn't go with him she sighed, taking her hand out of Darius' grasp.

"Sorry." She sighed. "Maybe next time."

He winked at her. "I'll look forward to it." He turned on his heel, disappearing through the crowd. Jazmine glared at Huey, clenching her fists.

"I could have sworn," She said from between clenched teeth. "That I told you to _leave me alone_." She pointed behind her. "Preventing me from dancing with Darius Long is not leaving me alone, Freeman!"

"Whatever." He turned on his heel. "Just come here." When Jazmine folded her arms over her chest and gave him a wary look in response he groaned loudly, turning back around.

"Sometime today, please?"

Jazmine stomped after him, grumbling. When they got back to the front door he opened it, gesturing for her to walk outside. She gave him a dirty look but obliged, lifting her chin in the air and giving him a haughty look when he closed the door behind him. He gave her a glare of his own.

"Thank you." He rolled his eyes. "Was that so hard?"

"What do you _want_?" Jazmine snapped, her fists clenched. "I don't want to talk to you! I'm not kidding!"

"I'm aware. You've made that clear over the past few years, thank you very much." When Jazmine frowned in response his face softened. "I need to talk to you."

"Well, you're talking to me now." Jazmine let her hands relax. "So just get it over with."

He gave her a look. "You really can't stand me, can you?"

"Not really, no!" Jazmine made to walk past him. "Nice chat."

"Jazmine, stop." He put a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him, her jaw set. "I meant what I said. About not telling anyone. And after this conversation, I really don't care if you never talk to me again." He shrugged. "It's really not my problem. But I need you to answer something."

Jazmine's expression smoothed over. She sighed, stepping backwards so that she was in front of him again. "Fine." She glanced up at him. "What do you want to know?"

He made a face, as if not being able to believe he was even saying whatever it was on his mind. "This is going to seem a bit…weird." He gave her a look. "Do you…I don't know…see dead people?"

Jazmine's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"It's not a hard question."

"It isn't. But it's random." She gave him a look of his own. "May I ask what brought you to this?"

"Could you just answer me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, if you must know. I do. But what does that have to do with-"

Huey let out a breath of air. He seemed…relieved? "Okay. Good. Because, we sort of have a problem."

"_We_?"

"Yes. _We._" Huey took her shoulders in his hands, spinning her around so that she was facing the end of the driveway. Her eyes fell on a figure standing at the end of it, staring back at them with a neutral expression on his face. A few partygoers that were strolling by walked right through him, not even noticing. Jazmine's eyes widened and she spun around to give Huey a shocked expression.

"You…you see him?"

"That," Huey replied, surprisingly calm. "Would be the problem." She spun back around, staring at the ghost, who hadn't moved. "I'm seeing dead people, too." He paused. "The only difference between you seeing them and me seeing them is that _I'm not supposed to_."

Jazmine gave him a glare from over her shoulder. "Because dealing with invisible beings is my job, right?"

"Um, yeah!"

Jazmine gave him a dirty look, shaking her head. Huey looked past her.

"What do we do?" He asked. "I mean, do we say hi? Do we tell him to go away? _Does _he go away?"

"No. _No_." Jazmine shook her head. "_You_ go away." She pointed back to the house. "_I'm_–" She pointed to the ghost. "-going to go do _my _job." She started down the driveway, her heels clacking on the concrete. As she got closer to the guy she sighed, putting on a smile. She wasn't going to be a jerk to him, no matter how mad she was at Huey for being a total blocker. After all, he already looked pretty bummed out about being dead.

"Hi." She clasped her hands in front of her. "What's up?"

He blinked in surprise, glancing around. "You…you can see me?" His voice was filled with wonder. "I saw you and that boy staring in this direction, but I didn't know if you could actually _see _me-"

"Yup." Jazmine gestured to him. "So, what's going on? I mean, are you lost?" She shrugged. "Come to get your drink on?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Ghosts. It was as if they all forgot to, you know, take a joke. "Nothing."

He nodded, sticking out a hand. "The name's Henry Underwood." She shook his hand, nodding as well. It wasn't nearly as weird touching him as she thought it would've been.

"I'm Jazmine." She dropped her hand back to her side, watching him as a puzzled look fell over his face.

"Who's he?"

"Huh? Ah!" Jazmine practically jumped out her skin when she looked beside her to see Huey standing there, looking as if he saw ghosts on a daily basis. Which was better than him running and screaming, she supposed. But seriously? "For someone as smart as you, you really don't know the meaning of "go away", do you?"

"Is he a medium, too?" Henry asked. Jazmine shook her head before Huey could speak.

"No. He's just a mortal."

Huey looked offended. ""Just a mortal"? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think? Sorry." Jazmine turned back to the bemused ghost. "This is Huey. He's having…technical difficulties." She shook her head. "This isn't a normal thing for him."

Huey shook his head as well. "Definitely not."

Henry sighed. "That's understandable." He gestured to himself. "Being dead isn't too normal for me, either."

"I'm sorry." Jazmine frowned. "What happened?"

"Well." Henry stroked his chin. "I don't know, actually."

Jazmine's frown deepened. "You don't know?"

"No." Henry's brown eyes crinkled around the edges as he glanced up to the sky, thinking. "All I remember was sitting in my chair, watching BET-"

"Ugh. No wonder you died."

"Huey!" Jazmine elbowed him in the gut, turning back to Henry. "Please. Continue."

"Right." The man didn't seem too offended by Huey's remark. That or he'd completely missed it. "Anyways, one moment I'm sitting there…and the next I'm floating over my own body, and people are examining me lying on the floor and saying I'm dead."

The air fell silent around them, except for the noises from the party, which drifted over to them courtesy of the wind. After a long moment of silence Huey sighed loudly, running his hands over his face.

"This is too weird."

Jazmine glared at him. "Then _go away_!" She glanced back at Henry. "What was the last thing you felt before you died?"

Henry shook his head, sighing. "I felt fine, if that's what you mean. I didn't feel any kind of pain, any dizziness or nausea. My breathing was normal. I honestly don't know how it happened."

"Where did you live?" When Henry and Jazmine both glanced towards Huey he shrugged. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Annapolis." He smiled. "If you don't mind me answering."

Jazmine smirked. It took Huey a moment to realize he was kidding. It was obvious that this wasn't quite sinking in.

"Annapolis isn't too far from here," Jazmine mumbled, stroking her chin. She glanced at him. "Well, what exactly are you still here for?" When he didn't reply she went on. "I mean, you can't just hang around. You're dead. Don't you want to find out what comes next for you?"

"Easy. A hole in the ground," Huey mumbled under his breath. Jazmine slowly turned towards him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You are _not _helping," She hissed. When he merely glared back in response she turned back to Henry, who still looked lost. "Henry?"

He wrung his hands. "I want you to find out why I'm dead." He shook his head. "I'm not supposed to be dead. My daughter is getting married in a month. I'm supposed to _be _there."

Jazmine nodded. Huey snorted. She threw up her hands.

"What could possibly be funny about that?!" She practically yelled. Even Henry looked offended. Huey shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel too sorry for the guy." He looked at Henry. "I get it. You're dead. It sucks." He shrugged. "But it's done. It is what it is. There's a place where the dead are meant to go, and hanging around here isn't going to help you any."

Henry's eyes narrowed. "Young man-"

"What, you think it's going to help your daughter sleep better at night?" Huey continued as if he hadn't spoken. Jazmine's eyebrow rose. "You think if you hang around long enough you'll find some way to come back to life? Get real. Unless your daughter or any other member of your family can see dead people, which I doubt, you're already gone. They're going to miss you, they'll never forget you…but do yourself a favor. Seriously." He glanced around, making a face. "Trust me. You won't be missing much."

As callous and uncaring as Huey's words sounded…when you thought about it, he made a lot of sense. Even Henry looked somewhat convinced.

"Well…" He frowned. "I'm afraid of the time I'll lose." He sighed, rubbing his balding head. "I'm afraid of what I'll miss. Walking my daughter down the aisle…holding my first grandchild…"

"Well." Huey stuck his hands in his pockets. "Let's say you do decide to aimlessly wander the earth for the next decade or so. You go to your daughter's wedding, and you can't even congratulate her. You show up at the hospital when she's having her first child, and you can't even hold it." He looked him dead in the eye. "Would it really be worth it? Personally, I think it has to suck having to go through crap in life, and then you die only to have to witness others being happy and living their lives, while you're stuck in the same place." He shook his head. "It doesn't have to be that way."

Henry nodded, Huey's words hitting home. He nodded a second time, his eyes watering.

"You're…right." He sighed. "You're so, so right." He glanced towards Jazmine and stepped forward, clasping her hand in his. "Please. Call my daughter. Her name is Shelia and she lives in Silver Spring. Tell her I love her and…" He wiped his eye. "Tell her I still think Brad's a bastard."

And with that, he vanished. Jazmine blinked. Huey snorted.

"Calling people bastards is a great way to be remembered." He shook his head, making a face when he caught the look Jazmine was giving him. "What did I do _now_?"

"You-" She shook her head, practically laughing. "-were amazing." When Huey glanced away she poked him. "Seriously! You went…Dr. Phil on him or something."

"I told him the truth." He shrugged. "Life sucks. Death sucks. Get over it."

Jazmine snorted, turning away. "Well, either way…what you said was very nice. Even though niceness isn't really your thing."

"It's not yours anymore, either." A thoughtful look crossed over his face. "Then again, if random dead people decided to pop up all points of the day, I'd be pretty angry, too."

"I wasn't trying to be mean." Jazmine clasped her hands. "But this isn't something that anyone can just find out and be all "Oh, whoops!" about. Most people would freak out and start calling up the eleven o clock news if they-"

"Well, I'm not most people," Huey pointed out. Jazmine shook her head, glancing up at him.

"No." She looked up at the dark sky. "I guess not."

He stared at her for a few seconds before letting his eyes float up to the sky as well. Jazmine sighed.

"So." She let her hands fall to rest at her sides. "What do you think is out there?"

Huey snorted. "Rocks. Debris. Asteroids. Noxious gases."

Jazmine gave him a blank look. "You have a great imagination."

"I have better things to do than dwell on the prospect of some afterlife." He tore his gaze away, glancing back towards the house. "I guess you should probably go back in." When she gave him a lost look he smirked. "Darius looked pretty mad at me for taking you away."

"Ah." Jazmine paused, then shook her head. "I don't really feel like dancing anymore." She lifted one leg, pulling off the high heel on it, then set it down and did the same to the other foot. She held them both in one hand. "I'll probably just walk back home. Something tells me Cindy's not going to notice either way."

Huey exhaled. "That's a long walk."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you get here? You drove?"

"Nope. Walked." Jazmine stared at him, laughing. "Well, I'm not supposed to drive after ten with my license! Sorry I didn't want to get busted and have to restart my eighteen months until I can get a _real _license-"

"I didn't say anything." Jazmine started down the sidewalk. "Geez."

"Whatever." Huey fell in step beside her. "So, if ghosts are transparent, how can they touch you? I always thought they'd just go right through solid objects?"

Jazmine snorted, lifting her wrist, the green marks standing out under the streetlights. Huey's eyebrows rose. "I used to think that, too."

"How the hell did you get that?" he asked. Jazmine started to reply, then shut her mouth again. This was the exact same thing Anya told her _not _to do.

"It's a long story." She tucked her arms behind her back. "Since when have you been able to see ghosts?"

"Only since today." Huey glanced down at her. "I had a feeling that if anyone else would be able to, it would be you. Being that you're already so weird and all-"

"Shut up." Jazmine couldn't help but smile. "I'd never expect a mere mortal like you to understand."

"In case you didn't notice," Huey replied, although his voice was light. "I too see dead people. Something tells me most "mortals" don't do that."

"It's obviously got something to do with yesterday, though." Jazmine faced forward again. "I'll figure it out. You'll be back to normal in no time."

Huey nodded, looking relieved.

They walked in silence for a while, the only noises coming from the occasional passing car and the sounds of their feet on the sidewalk. Huey spoke again.

"So." He shrugged. "Tell me about it."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow. "About…"

"Your powers." When she didn't reply he looked at her. "I mean, it's…a lot to take in."

"You know too much already." Jazmine glanced down at the ground. "I can't."

Huey smirked. "So, it's like that."

She nodded. "Yeah. It is."

They stared at each other. After a long moment he sighed, shrugging.

"Fine." He stated to the concrete as well. "Whatever."

"It's nothing personal." Jazmine _did _feel a little bad for being so hard on him the past couple of days. But only a little. "It's just the way it is."

"Does it really matter?" Huey asked. Jazmine gave him a quizzical look.

"Does what matter?"

He jabbed his thumb behind him. "You made it sound like being a mortal was such a bad thing." He raised his eyebrows. "Does it matter?"

Jazmine stared at him. She shook her head.

"No." She glanced at a passing car. "It matters to some people like me. It matters to a lot of them." She looked back at him again. "But not me."

He nodded.

The occasional firefly whizzed by, its tail making it seem as if they were walking through stars. Huey abruptly stopped, so quick that Jazmine kept going a few more steps before realizing that he was no longer keeping up with her. She glanced back. He held out a hand.

"Truce?"

Truce. A cease fire. Jazmine paused, staring at his hand. It was a dangerous game, to willingly be friends with those who were supposed to know nothing of what you were. It was even worse when said person _did _know. Then again…there was no need to keep secrets if he already knew the gist of them. There was no reason to avoid him. After all, lovesick Jazmine had vacated the building ages ago.

It wasn't as if she had too many friends. She could count the number of friends she had on one hand. There was always room for one more.

"Okay." She took a step forward, giving his hand a firm shake. She glanced up at him. "Truce."

* * *

Um...yeahhhhhhhh...wooooo! Thanks for reading! :D

-Kelsey


	6. Trial and Error

Alright, storytime, storytimeeee! So, I had to get a CAT scan today, and they give you a shitload of this nasty ass stuff called Barium to drink so that the X-rays show up better or something, I guess. Anyways, that stuff is disgusting and made me feel nauseous, and you can't eat/drink anything else until after the X-ray. So, I get there, have to drink MORE of it, they insert an IV to give me some kind of medicine, and when the X-ray's almost done, I feel myself needing to throw up. Terribly. So, I manage to wait until it's done, and then proceed to voimt ALL OVER THE FLOOR. Talk about embarrassing. THEN, when I was driving home I had to pull over to the side of the road so I could THROW UP AGAIN. So, needless to say, I am not planning on going anywhere today. I can eat/drink stuff now but feel so crappy I don't even want to. And now that i've grossed you all out, I want to thank Leka10, MizzC, and TRIGGER MIKE THE GREAT for the reviews! :giggle:

:vomits:

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks isn't mine. Good thing, cause Riley would be running for the hills with all this throw up (Are you beginning to see the theme for the day?)_

* * *

Trial And Error

"Bye mom, bye dad!"

"Whoa!" Sarah looked up from the Monday morning paper as Jazmine breezed by the kitchen, backpack on her shoulders. Tom looked up from his cup of coffee, a just as surprised expression on his face. "Honey, where are you going?"

Jazmine gave her mom a funny look over her shoulder. "Um, school?"

Sarah glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's only six ten. You have a full hour before it starts."

"You're usually not even _up _by six ten," Tom pointed out. Jazmine shrugged, tugging on the hem of her shirt.

"Well, today I am." She nodded towards the front door. "Huey's giving me a ride and he leaves super early, so-"

Tom began choking on his coffee and Sarah thumped him on the back. He clutched his throat.

"Huey _Freeman_?"

"Yes…" Jazmine's nose wrinkled. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

"It's not, but-" Sarah's face took on a contemplative look. "Didn't you two stop being friends?"

"Kind of." She shrugged. "But now we are. Well, kind of." She started for the front door again. "Bye! Love you!"

"Wait!" Tom gasped, still recovering. Jazmine spun around again. "Be careful, honey. There was a murder in the next town over last night and they never caught the guy. So, just look out for yourself."

She nodded, tugging on the doorknob. "Okay." She opened the front door and ran out. "Bye!" The door slammed shut behind her. Tom and Sarah exchanged looks.

"Jazmine's getting a ride from _Huey_?" Sarah mumbled in disbelief, heading for the window that overlooked the driveway. Tom followed her. Sure enough, Jazmine was climbing into the passenger seat of Huey's car, tossing her backpack in the backseat. "Wow. I wonder what made them be friends again?"

Tom glared. "I hope it's not because he's trying to make a move on my baby!"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Tom, please. I'm sure it's nothing like that."

"Well, whatever it is," He replied, going back into the kitchen as the car drove off. "It must be something big that got them talking again."

Sarah shrugged, frowning. "Must have been."

---

"Man, why you actin too good ta share wit a nigga?"

"Don't you have yo own food?"

"Oh, so dat mean I can't have none of yours?"

Cindy rolled her eyes at Riley, finally breaking her egg McMuffin into two pieces and giving him one half. "You are one greedy bitch," She said, taking a bite. He glared at her.

"Why I gotta be all dat? It's cuz I'm _black_, ain't it?"

"Shut yo ass up!" Cindy laughed, punching him in the shoulder. They both looked up as a girl with long brown hair walked up, wearing a track uniform.

"Hey." She yawned sleepily. "Riley. You seen Huey?"

"Well, hello to you too," Cindy muttered sarcastically. The girl cut her eyes at her.

"Yeah…hi." She glanced back to Riley. "Well?"

He sucked his teeth. "Man, I don ride ta school wit his whack ass. How da hell I'm gon know where he at?"

"I don't know…maybe because he's your brother?"

"Motha fucka, do I look like mah brotha's keeper? Shit, he be all into his nerdy documentaries, or nerdy books, or nerd clothes-"

"Or nerd girls?" Cindy suddenly supplied, her ocean blue eyes widening as she spotted Jazmine coming through the school doors, the school doors that Huey had held open for her. Maya's own eyes widened. Riley snapped his fingers.

"Yeah! Nerd girls! Good lookin!" He folded his arms across his chest. "Wait, _girls_? Wut?"

Huey and Jazmine were so into whatever conversation they were having that Cindy had to grab Jazmine's arm just to keep her from walking by. "Jazmine!"

"Huh! Oh!" Jazmine smiled. "Hey, Cindy!"

"Um…hey gurl." Whoa. First off, this was probably one of the first times Jazmine had gotten to school early since they'd been in eighth grade. Secondly, she was _never _this awake in the mornings. Ever. There was a time when Jazmine would have so much energy it would put the sun to shame, but even energetic Jazmine didn't make an appearance till around twelve. Thirdly…she was talking to Huey without any arguing being involved? "What's up?"

"Nothing much."

"Okay." Maya was smirking at Huey, who had stopped in front of her and Riley. "Tell me why-" She cut off when she saw Cindy and Jazmine staring towards her. "May I help you?"

"Um, yeah." Cindy tossed her hair, her attitude kicking into high gear. "You could go talk loud as hell at yo own damn locker."

"Cindy-" Jazmine said in a warning tone. Maya took a step forward, her eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?" She snorted. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

Cindy made a big show of staring around the hallway, her eyes wide and mocking. She finally looked at Maya again. "Um, who _else _would I be talking to?"

Maya's fist clenched. Jazmine sighed, rolling her eyes at Cindy. That girl was always getting in hot water with someone!

"Cin. It's no big deal." She glanced at Maya. "Just ignore her."

"How about I ignore _you_," Maya said, rolling her eyes. "Since you have nothing to do with this."

Jazmine's mouth clamped shut. She gave her a dirty look. Cindy laughed.

"Wow. You sure gotta lot of mouth towards those who won't fight you." Her eyes held a challenge. "If you got so much shit to talk, why don't you say it to _me_? Cause I ain't scared of you."

"I'm not scared, either," Jazmine said in a slightly hurt voice. Riley shook his head, gently pulling her aside.

"Let tha broads who can actually do something handle dis," He laughed. Huey rolled his eyes, sighing and turning on his heel.

"Yeah…you guys have fun with that." He started down the hallway. Maya took a step closer so that she and Cindy's noses were practically touching.

"Am I gonna have to rip all that blonde hair out your skinny little head?" She snarled. Cindy didn't back down.

"I'd like to see you try, when I'm done wiping the floor with your fake ass, loud ass, gawtdamn weave wearin-"

"My hair's real, bitch!"

"Bitch? You might wanna check yourself, I'll show you a bitch!"

"Then show me what you got, white girl!"

"Guys, _stop_!" Jazmine yelled, pushing herself in between them. Her hand grazed the front of Maya's shirt.

_"It looks like she's going to win it…wait." The announcer stood up, his eyes narrowed and then widening. "She's down! What happened?"_

_"It looks like she collapsed!" The other commentator said, standing to his feet. Everyone else were jumping to their feet as well. "She's not moving…here comes the paramedics…did she have any injuries before this?"_

_"Not that I know of, Thompson…" Their voices trailed off as they, along with the rest of the stadium, fell silent. One of the paramedics shook their head, cutting their palm against their throat. The commentators exchanged shocked looks. _

_"She's…dead."_

"-I didn't even touch her! I don't know why she passed out!"

"Maybe because of yo stank ass-"

"Cindy, do _not _play with me right now."

"Both of you, _shut up_."

It was the last voice, the masculine one, that got her. She blinked, letting out a soft moan and rubbing her forehead. As her eyes adjusted she found herself staring into the faces of four different people. Maya, Cindy, Huey…and the nurse.

Wow. This was awkward.

"Um…" Jazmine started to sit up but was pushed back down by the nurse, who was notorious for being a completely paranoid, over-the-top, one hundred percent whacko.

"You just lay down right there, Ms. DuBois!" She practically screeched, causing all four students to give her an odd look. She was practically _twitching. _"I'll get you some water!"

"Is she okay?" Cindy asked worriedly. She fell to her knees so that she was near eye level with her best friend. "Is it your Parkinson's?"

Huey made a face. "_Parkinson's_?"

Jazmine glanced over at Cindy, nodding slowly. "Yeah."

Cindy closed her eyes. Jazmine sat up on her elbows, her eyes widening.

"But it's okay! I just got…hot!" She said, causing Cindy's eyes to open again. "Overheated and lightheaded and…stuff. Yeah, that's all."

"Oh." Cindy looked relieved. "Well…that's okay, I guess."

Maya folded her arms over her chest, her expression holding a mixture of relief, annoyance, and awkwardness. "Um…" She scratched the back of her neck, staring at Jazmine. "I'm glad you're okay. After all-" She shot a glare at Cindy. "It's your Casper pale best friend who almost caught it. I wasn't mad at you."

Cindy pointed towards her, her face filled with anger. "You'd better be glad I don't have time to mess with your ass right now, Johansen."

Maya snorted. "Bitch, boo."

"Can you two give it a rest?" Huey snapped, surprising them both. "Damn! Act like you're not in elementary school! Or is that too hard to do?"

Maya frowned, her eyes softening as she glanced up at him. "Sorry."

Cindy wordless turned back towards Jazmine. As she opened her mouth to say something the nurse suddenly rushed back, holding a Styrofoam cup full of ice water and handing it to Jazmine, who sat up slowly. She winced. "Now, drink it slowly!" She croaked, her eye twitching. "_Slowly_. Sloooow-"

"I _get _it," Jazmine said in an irritable voice. "Thank you." She pushed her hair behind her ear and took a tiny sip, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. The nurse gave the other three a look.

"Alright, you three. I don't believe you're the ones who passed out." She waved towards the door. "Now get to class."

Cindy rose to her feet, patting Jazmine's shoulder. "I'll see you in Spanish, okay?" She checked her watch. "On second thought, I'll see you at lunch."

Jazmine nodded without opening her eyes. Maya sighed.

"I hope you feel better," She said quietly before walking out the door. Cindy gave her back a dirty look before hoisting her purse over her shoulder and walking out as well, her heels making loud clacking sounds on the floor. The nurse pointed to Huey.

"That means you as well, Freeman!"

"Well," Huey said in a serious voice. "Don't you think it would be beneficial to Jazmine if someone stayed with her to carry her things back to her locker and make sure she doesn't pass out again once she leaves her current location?"

The nurse nodded, giving Huey a look of approval over the rims of her thick, brown glasses. "Good thinking, Freeman!" She squeaked, snapping her fingers and walking towards her office. "Let me write you a pass. Jazmine!" She suddenly yelled, making the girl jump and spill half the cup of water onto her jeans. She grimaced. "Do you want me to call your parents to come get you?"

Jazmine shook her head. "Please don't!" She yelled, leaning back against the wall. "I feel better!"

"Then two passes!" The nurse chimed, suddenly beginning to mutter something under her breath. Huey gave the nurse a weird look before shaking his head and plopping down on the bed beside Jazmine. He leaned against the wall, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were still closed.

"You saw something."

Jazmine's eye cracked open and she turned her head slightly so that she could look at him. "Is that a question, or are you telling me?"

"You saw something," He repeated, rolling his eyes. "Unless I said it using a rising inflection in my tone, which I did not, it is a statement."

"No need to be a jerk."

"No need to avoid the question."

She nodded, closing her eyes again. "Yeah." She felt Huey staring at her and opened her eyes again, shrugging. "_Yes_?"

"What did you see?"

She glanced around, making sure the nurse hadn't suddenly popped into earshot before leaning over towards him, whispering. "I saw Maya passing out on some track. She died."

Huey's eyes widened. He stared down at her. She nodded, frowning.

"It was at some kind of competition," She mumbled, staring down at the bed thoughtfully. "But I don't know when."

"There's a meet. This afternoon." Huey exhaled through his nose. "It's cross country, since regular track isn't until the spring. She's a sprinter." He rested his elbows on his knees, staring down at the floor. "What happened? Was she pushed? Did she trip?"

"No." Jazmine shook her head. "Nothing happened. One moment she was fine…and then she just dropped dead. It's odd," She said thoughtfully. "I usually only see immediate incidents, not ones that happen hours later." She sighed. "I think her dying has something to do with her running."

"So we've got to stop her from running this afternoon."

Jazmine gave him a look. "You're doing the "we" thing again."

"Yeah, I am." He glared at her. "She's my friend. Of course I'm going to help."

Jazmine smirked. His eyebrows drew together. "What?"

She shook her head, laughing softly.

"_What?_"

Jazmine grinned at him. "Friend, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes. Friend."

"You like her."

"I do not."

"Do."

"Do _not_."

"Yeah, you do. Your face is turning red."

"Why are we even arguing about this?" Huey snapped, although he was keeping his voice low. "You just saw Maya dying from no known cause and you're laughing at me for liking her?"

"_Ha_!" Jazmine pointed at him, grinning. "You do! You just said so!"

He groaned quietly, rolling his eyes again. "You're impossible."

"And you're infatuated."

"Jazmine, shut up." He eyed her. "You want to talk about denial? What the hell is up with the Parkinson's thing?"

She glared at him. "Well, I couldn't tell her that the reason I space out so much and have a lack of coordination skills is because I see visions in my mind and talk to people who aren't _there_."

He nodded. "That…makes sense."

She drank the last of her water, chewing on the ice and crumpling the cup. She went back to looking serious.

"So, we're going to stop Maya from running." She shrugged, glancing towards him. "How are we supposed to do that?"

He shrugged as well, glancing up at the ceiling. "I have _no _idea."

---

Since it was so nice outside, the students all went outside to sit when lunchtime came around, spreading out along the green campus and soaking up the sun. Caesar himself was in a _great _mood. After all, he had his own personal sunshine.

Her name started with a C and ended in "Indy".

"Good afternoon, Padres!" He said, setting down his tray beside Huey. Maya, who was sitting on Huey's opposite side munching on a carrot, looked up at him.

"You do realize that you just called us all your fathers, right?" She pointed out, rolling her eyes. Hiro, who was sitting on Maya's other side, snorted.

"Ceez can barely comprehend English. I don't know who told him to try Spanish."

"Oh, you think you're funny." Caesar bit into his apple, glancing towards Maya. "What's this I hear about you holding the school record for farthest shot put and fastest four hundred meter sprint?"

"Oh." Maya grinned, shaking her orange juice bottle. "It's all fancy talk for "Maya is Awesome"."

"Cocky much?" Hiro joked. She stuck out her tongue.

"Confident." She sighed. "Then again we're going against Central High, and stupid Beatrice Waters set the record for sprinting for her school, too. I hate her."

"Have you ever met her?" Huey asked. Maya snorted.

"Nope! But I hate her."

"You wouldn't be Maya if you didn't," Caesar said, rolling his eyes. Maya laughed, then made a face.

"Does anyone have any Tylenol or something?" She asked, frowning. "I have a headache."

"Aww. Is wimpy Maya gonna let a wittle headache take her down?" Hiro taunted. Maya swatted him with her bottle.

"Shut up, Poindexter." She glanced at Huey, her frown deepening. "Hey, what's with the face?"

"Huh?" Huey blinked. She shrugged.

"You were staring at me with this weird look on your face." Her eyebrow rose. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. Caesar banged his fist on the table.

"Okay, Caesar's turn to talk!" He clapped his hands together, grinning. "I…have a date…with Cindy." He shrugged, gesturing towards the other three. "Huh? _Huh_?"

"Um, didn't you already get in her draws Friday night?" Hiro snorted, glancing up from his homework. "Don't think I didn't see you two disappear up the stairs!"

"Actually, _for your information_," Caesar shot at him, sticking his nose in the air. "We did not participate in any fornication. We just talked. Because I _respect _her."

Huey, who was drinking some water, suddenly spit it out. He, Hiro, and Maya stared at each other, then glanced back at him, laughing. Caesar's jaw dropped.

"What?!"

"_You_? Respecting _Cindy_?" Hiro wiped the corner of his eye. "Man, ain't you the one who was in that closet with Nicole a few weeks ago with-"

"Nope! That was old Caesar! La la la la la!" He yelled, plugging his fingers in his ears. Maya rolled her eyes. "I told you guys. Cindy's not like other women."

"You're right." Maya looked aggravated. "She's a big mouthed bitch who's cruisin for a bruisin."

"Ho-kay!" Caesar glanced towards Hiro, who shrugged in an I-don't-even-ask way. "May I ask why you have yet another person on your shit list?"

"Because!" Maya sat back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. "She tried to cop an attitude because…Huey, what the hell are you _staring _at?"

"What?"

"While I am flattered that my face is that fascinating," Maya said, shaking her head and snatching one of Hiro's chocolate chip cookies before he could stop her. "It is a bit weird. Is there something on my face?"

He shook his head. Caesar gave him a look of his own.

"You have been pretty quiet today," He said, examining his best friend. "You didn't get into a single argument with Boris the Janitor on the conditions of healthcare across the country."

"Yep. Today has been a day of silence for our Huey Freeman," Maya joked. When Huey didn't respond she sighed. "Seriously. What's going on?"

Huey sighed. "Nothing."

Caesar shrugged towards Maya, who shrugged as well and turned back to Hiro. "Did you see that weak ass speech the governor made last night?" She asked him, sounding like she was trying not to laugh. "I was like, man, who is yo ass tryin to fool?"

Caesar glanced towards Huey, who suddenly sat up and stared over his shoulder. When Caesar looked over his own shoulder he spotted Cindy, Riley, and Jazmine sitting at a table a few tables away. Cindy and Riley were talking about something, but Jazmine was staring back at Huey, wearing the same expression. Caesar straightened. She then nodded, turning back to Cindy. Huey glanced back towards Maya and Hiro as well.

What was up with _that_?

---

Jazmine hated sports. She hated it even more since she was actually had to _go_ to a competition.

The track and field meet was being held at Central High, which was a thirty minute drive away from their school, a drive made even longer by the fact that most people were getting off work by that time. Jazmine was fidgeting around so much in Huey's passenger seat that she was making the car shake. Huey looked at her.

"Do you have to use the bathroom?"

"_No_," Jazmine snapped, shaking her head and sticking her head out the window, staring at the long stretch of cars that weren't moving _despite the green light_. "I'm just worried we're not going to make it in time."

"Relax. We will." He sat calmly behind the wheel, glancing into his rearview mirror. "It doesn't even start until four. It's only three thirty."

"I know," Jazmine replied, flopping back in her seat. "But I don't even know if she collapsed during the actual competition, or when she was warming up, or what. For all I know, those commentators could have been practicing and all those people were there early watching them warm up-"

"Or," Huey countered, interrupting her. "Maybe it's during the competition, like you said it would be, and you're just panicking."

"I'm not panicking," Jazmine said. "I'm just…" When Huey looked at her expectantly she swallowed, sighing. "You're right. I'm panicking."

"Completely." They inched forward, only to stop again moments later. "You should think about stopping. It's not helping any."

"I know. But visions are subject to change." She turned towards him. "The future can be impacted by one teensy tiny detail. And then, we're screwed. And when I say we, I mean her." She frowned. "I know we're not the best of pals or anything, but I don't want her to _die_."

"It's nothing personal." Huey glared at a car that cut him off as the line began to inch forward again. "Maya's not liking you, I mean," He added. "She's not much of a people person."

"Kind of like you?"

"Kind of like me."

She tipped her head to the side, examining him. "I can see it. You two being together," She added when he gave her a confused look. "You two seem to be a lot alike."

"I guess." He shrugged. "This time next year I'm going to be in college, somewhere across the country. There's no point in forming any connections with people now."

Jazmine nodded, looking back out the passenger window. "I can understand that."

He started to say the same thing he did whenever anyone offered their two cents, which was 'I don't really care what _you _think about it'. Only, she was _agreeing _with him? He gave her a look. "Really?"

She glanced back at him, shrugging. "Well…yeah." She blinked. "You seem surprised. Why do you seem so surprised?"

He snorted. "You're the first person other than Riley who hasn't disagreed with my opinion about it. Then again, his reason was that I was a bitch who was probably gay anyways and he couldn't care less."

"Nice." She massaged her shoulder, staring out the window again. "I don't see anything wrong with it. It seems like the more connections you have, the harder things get." She nodded. "I can understand that. Because when you leave, other than breaks, you're never coming back. Right?"

He nodded, surprised at how easy she'd gotten that. "…Right."

Jazmine smiled, then her eyes widened and she pointed out the window. "We're there! Yay!"

"I told you we'd make it." He rolled his eyes. "Way to go, worrying for no reason."

"Shut up and park."

By the time they got a parking space and paid for their tickets it was ten minutes until four. Huey and Jazmine pushed through the crowded statement, heading towards the opposite side where their school's team was stretching and warming up. The sun beamed down from overhead, causing Jazmine to break out in a sweat.

"Maybe she dehydrates!" She tried, having to yell to be heard due to the noise around them. Huey shook his head.

"She wouldn't die on the spot like that!" He shot back.

"What are we going to say to her?"

"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go along."

They finally got down to the other side, where the blue and silver wearing girls were stretching, drinking water, or standing around, talking. They both glanced around. Maya was nowhere in sight.

_"Shit_," Huey mumbled. "Where the hell is she?"

Jazmine glanced further out onto the field, jabbing Huey with her finger. "She's on the field already."

Huey sighed. "Great." He looked at her. "Well? What's the plan?"

She made a face. "The plan is you're going to go convince her not to run!"

"Why me?"

"Duh!" Jazmine threw up her hands. "You're a good friend of hers! Besides, she and my best friend hate each other and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me too much either. We've _established _this."

"Jazmine-" Huey sighed, shaking his head and starting down the bleachers. She stood rooted to the spot, staring out to where Maya was stretching in a huge patch of sunshine, her straight ponytail falling over her shoulder. Huey tried to wrack his brain for excuses as he walked up to her. He was usually good at improvising.

Honestly, though. What the hell was an excuse for "get off the damn field before you die"?

"Um…hey." He stopped beside her so he wouldn't block the sun. Maya loved the sun. _Loved _it. Any interference between her and sunlight due to human beings resulted in a beatdown. And if not a beatdown, at least a lot of yelling, which she was quite good at dishing out. She'd lived around her eight male cousins back in Detroit, not to mention took kickboxing. Needless to say, she was pretty tough. "What's going on?"

She glanced up, her eyes widening. She straightened, wiping her forehead on her sleeve.

"Huey?" She glanced around, as if she was being Punk'd. "Okay, what are you _doing _here?"

"I'm sorry." He feigned sarcasm. "I'm not allowed to come cheer on one of my closest friends?"

"First off, you don't cheer. _Ever_." Maya put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Rumor has it that you once cheered at Riley's basketball game when he was ten, but I wasn't here for that so the jury's still out. Second, you don't believe in organized sporting events. You don't believe in organized sports. When you were asked to try out for the football team you laughed so hard that you probably broke something."

Huey shrugged. She did have a point.

"While I appreciate you coming to support me," She finished, smirking. "It is quite weird."

"Well…how do you feel?" He asked. Her eyebrow shot up. "I mean, you're not dizzy or anything, are you?"

"No." Maya reached down to touch her toes, luckily with her butt facing the _opposite _direction. Geez, how awkward that would be if he had to talk _and _avoid looking at her ass? "I feel fine."

"Oh." How did Jazmine _do _this shit?! He figured that talking would be much easier than diving in front of a semi or a table or wherever the hell else Jazmine had leaped to get someone out a jam. Then again, he wasn't much of a verbal communicator. He sucked at Charades, just because he wasn't patient enough, nor did he care, about trying to guess what people were doing. "Well-"

"I'm glad you came." Maya smiled at him, straightening. "But I've got to go. The meet's starting in a couple minutes-"

"_Wait_." She froze and Huey inwardly groaned. "Um, maybe you shouldn't run today."

Maya gave him a look. "May I ask why?"

"Well." Huey glanced around, his hands behind his back. There was absolutely _no _logical reason why she should sit out, besides the fact that _she was going to die_. But no one was supposed to know that! "It's…pretty hot today."

Maya's eyebrow shot up. "Really." Her tone was flat.

He nodded. Why had he never noticed how intimidating she could be? Not that he'd ever admit that there was a female who existed that could intimidate _him_. She rolled her eyes, laughing.

"We're descendants of people who spent all day in the hot sun, working in fields and sweating their asses off," She told him, starting past. "I think I can do with a little bit of sun."

"Well…" Huey tried to think of something else. As much as he'd hate to start some conflict between her and someone else, it seemed to be the only way. She was the queen of attitude problems. "What about…Beatrice Waters?"

Maya stopped, quickly spinning around. "What about her?" She asked, even though her tone held a bit of wariness to it.

"I don't know." Huey shrugged. "I just heard from a group of people back over…_there_-" He pointed in the general area of the bleachers and her eyes narrowed. "That she's been talking some serious shit."

Maya, to his surprise, did not get mad. She did not grab him and shake him until he told her who exactly said it. She didn't even _flinch_. Instead she shrugged. _Shrugged_.

"Well, aren't you always the one who tells me not to listen to what other people say?" She replied with a small smile. "I'm not going to get disqualified messing with her fug ass. She's probably just scared because I'm about to beat her record."

"Since when do you listen to _me_?"

"I always listen to you. I just choose to ignore your advice sometimes. Because face it, you don't always know what you're talking about. Not like I do." She smirked, giving him a slight shove and turning around again, heading towards the rest of her team, who was slowly assembling. "I appreciate the effort, but I'll be fine. Now shoo!"

He stared after her, sighing and walking back towards the bleachers. Jazmine came running down the steps to meet him. By the time she reached the bottom step he was staring up at her, shaking his head and sighing.

"She's still going to run."

Jazmine smacked her palm against her. "Huey! Seriously!"

"It was harder than I thought it would be! What was I supposed to say?" He put a mocking tone in his voice. ""Oh, Maya, you should really think about sitting this competition out because a reliable source told me that you're going to _die_ if you run today." Really, Jazmine?"

"_No_. Of course not." She rolled her eyes. He shrugged.

"Then, I'm sorry, what do you recommend? Because there's not too many logical ways to handle this situation."

"Of course not." She smiled. "That's why you can't always be logical. Sometimes, you have to be a little irrational." She started past him. "Better yet, a little dramatic."

"Jazmine." His eyebrows rose as she started down the walkway in front of the bleachers. "What are you doing?"

"You just stay there and look oblivious!" She yelled, jogging away. He stared after her, blinking.

"Well, that's not going to be hard…"

Jazmine got to the other side of the bleachers, which was luckily pretty easy sine almost everyone was sitting down at this point, with the meet starting and whatnot. She suddenly stopped in front of Bryce Palese, a tall senior on the field hockey team who couldn't stand her ever since she accidentally spilled chocolate milk on her shoes back in ninth grade. "Bryce," She said, her voice urgent. The blonde's brown eyes narrowed, which was never a good sign.

"DuBois, you're blocking my view. Get out the way before I kick your ass." She was holding a bucket of popcorn and wearing a sneer on her face. She was sitting between two of her friends, equally big and equally intimidating girls with equally big buckets of popcorn. Jazmine gave Bryce a pleading look.

"Bryce." She clasped her hands together. "I'll give you twenty dollars to chase me around that field and pretend to try and beat me up."

Bryce snorted. "Or, I'll beat your ass right here for _free_. Now get out my way."

Jazmine sighed, starting to walk away. Then, she glanced towards the far side of the field, where Maya was sipping on a bottle of water and laughing at something a teammate was saying. Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched.

She couldn't give up! She couldn't just let Maya die just because she was afraid of looking insane. People already thought she was crazy anyways! So, she did the only thing she could think of doing:

She snatched Bryce's bucket of popcorn out her hands and dumped it on her head. She then proceeded to fling the other two girls' buckets out of their hands so that they hit the ground, spilling everywhere. She grinned and wiggled her fingers towards them.

Then, she booked it out of there.

"You BITCH!" Bryce screamed, charging after her, along with her two "henchmen". Jazmine screamed, running onto the field with them chasing her down.

Somehow, this plan had been a lot better in her head.

"Good afternoon! And welcome to…whoa, what's going on out there?" One of the commentators was saying, sounding as if he were trying not to laugh. "Wow! Look at that girl run!"

"Yes, it seems as if she'd trying to avoid getting beat up!" The other one, a well known senior, laughed. "Sadly, that's not going to last long-"

BAM! There was a high pitched scream as Bryce tackled Jazmine to the ground, followed by the other two, all three of them promptly beginning to wail on her. The two commentators started laughing, along with some of the people on the bleachers. Most people stood to their feet, craning their necks to look. Huey's eyes were wide. After a few moments he sighed, shaking his head.

"What am I going to do with you," He muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, there's the security guards now," The first commentator noted as four men ran on the field, grabbing each of the girls off Jazmine and dragging them away. The fourth one crouched over her, holding up her arm and saying something. She shook her head, not getting up. "Damn! That girl got knocked the-"

"Martin!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Thompson…she got pounded within an inch of her life!" The crowd started applauding as she slowly rose to her feet, being helped by the guard. She leaned on him for support as they hobbled off the field. "I'm surprised she can even walk!"

"Yeah, that's fortunate for her, but unfortunately for us there's going to be a delay in the program as they clean the blood off the track-"

"EWWWWW!" Half the student body chorused in unison. Huey jumped up, starting towards the medical tent, which was most likely where they were going to take her. When he got there he hung back as he spotted Maya walking in, striding up to one of the paramedics.

"Hi," She said, resting her palms on one of the tables. "I was wondering, do any of you have any aspirin? I have a headache."

"Sure, sweetie." One of them went rummaging around in some medical kit. "How long have you had it?"

She made a face. "Actually, it's kind of been persistent for the past week." The medic looked up. "It was alright the first few days, but then it got worse. I really want to run though and it's just a headache, so-"

"Wait a minute." He stared at her. "Are you feeling any other types of pain? Anything? No matter how trivial it seems."

Maya thought, her expression turning thoughtful. "Well…my neck's a little sore. I've been more tired than usual. And at practice today my balance was kind of off. I'm not usually so clumsy-"

"Denise!" He suddenly yelled towards the back of the tent, causing Maya to blink. "Denise, come here!" He glanced back to her. "Now hun, I don't want you to worry…but I'm going to have Denise ask you some questions, because she knows more in this area. I need you to stay calm."

"Why?" Maya looked surprised. "What's wrong? Can I get my Tylenol sometime _today_?"

"If it's what I think it is, you're going to have to go to the hospital." His tone was serious. Maya's jaw dropped.

"What? No!" She pointed out the tent. "After this damn delay I'm supposed to go out there and beat an all-state record! I just have a headache!" She turned on her heel. "Forget it-"

"No!" He yelled, holding out a hand towards her. "There's a good chance you have an aneurysm. And if you do and you run with that thing, you could die."

Maya froze in her tracks. She whipped around, her eyes wide and her jaw slack.

"Well." She closed her mouth, swallowing. "That…changes things." She walked back towards him, wincing. "How can you tell?"

"We've been around." He looked up as an older woman came up, wiping her hands. "Denise…" Huey didn't pay attention to the rest of what he was saying, instead backing away and shaking his head.

Maya had an aneurysm. That would explain why it looked like she just dropped dead for no apparent reason. Holy _shit_. He knew at this point that Jazmine's powers were legit, but it didn't make it any less impressive. How was this type of thing possible?

"It's something, huh?" A voice to his left asked. He jumped, whipping around to see a ghost leaning against the tent, examining her nails. Her hair was brown with streaks of gray, thrown in a bun. She looked oddly familiar. When her green eyes met his, he knew exactly who she was.

"You're Jazmine's grandmother." He blinked. "Well, it's that or I'm a schizo."

She laughed, shaking her head. "No, Huey. You're definitely not that." She lifted her chin. "You are, however, a mortal. A mortal who knows way too much."

He frowned. "Is that a problem?"

Her face turned grave. She nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes." She glanced around. "You see all these people?" Huey nodded. She turned towards him.

"Of all these people, there's probably one other person who isn't Jazmine who has powers. There might not be another person at _all. _It's rare, and those few who do have them have a set of rules to go by. Most unwritten, some passed down from generation to generation." She glanced up at him. "The biggest rule, probably the most important, is that you never expose yourself to a mortal. Ever. If they discover the truth, you wipe their memory. If you don't do it, then you're the one who becomes responsible." She gave him a severe look. "You knowing what you know…in the long run, you could get her in trouble with forces even she doesn't understand."

He blinked.

"I met you before." She smirked. "You were a nice young man. A bit…pessimistic, but nice nonetheless. I know the chances of you exposing psychics, mediums, others…it's rare. Very rare." She shook her head. "But there's still that chance."

"I won't."

"So you say now. You don't know the future." She smiled. "Nor do you know the past. History has a strange way of repeating itself." She began to fade. "Even for mortals…"

"Wait," He hissed, but she was already gone. He made a face, running her words through his mind. ""History repeating itself"?" He shook his head. "What the hell does that mean?" His gaze flickered up again as he suddenly saw a stretcher being wheeled into the medic tent. He winced. "Shit!"

When he got in, Maya was sitting on the stretcher, looking like she wanted to cry. "Yo…" Huey walked in, shoving past one of the medics and frowning. "What's wrong?"

He knew _exactly _what was wrong. Sure enough-

"They think I have an aneurysm," She said, obviously trying to stay calm. "I've got to go to the hospital. If it is one they're going to take it out." She frowned. "So much for beating the all-state record-"

"Like there won't be other chances to do that," Huey said, rolling his eyes. Maya offered him a feebly smile.

"Will you ride with me?" She asked. "To the hospital?" He blinked. "I really don't want to go by myself."

He nodded, stepping back so that one of the medics could scoot past him. "Okay."

"Alright, missy." The man who had been talking to her earlier eased her back. "Just lay down for us so we can get you out of here…" He said as two others began wheeling the stretcher, and Huey followed after the, glancing back towards the spot of the tent where Freda (that was her name, right?) had been. It was empty.

Weird. He started forward again, but froze as his ears picked up a low, strange hissing sound. He whirled around again, his eyes wide.

Nothing.

This was _ridiculous_. He shook his head, turning back and catching up to the stretcher, not noticing the figure that stared at him from behind the shadows of the bleachers.

---

"You got knocked the _fuck _out!"

"Riley," Jazmine sighed, moving the ice pack from her black eye and giving him a look. "Go away."

"Nigga, don get mad at me cuz yo ass can't fight!" He was rolling on her bedroom floor, laughing so hard that he had to hold his sides. "They was swingin you round like you was a ragdoll or sun shit!"

"Riley, you actin like you can fight any," Cindy said, shaking her head and handing Jazmine another ice pack, which she held up to her jaw. "I remember when you tried to fight that Butch Magnus kid back last year and he knocked your ass _out_. You was bleedin and crying everywhere-"

"Man, shut up!" Riley sat up and folded his arms over his chest. "No one asked yo ass!"

Cindy grinned, frowning when she turned to Jazmine. "You know you're going to get laughed at tomorrow for not knowing how to fight, right?"

"Okay, for one, I'm suspended for the rest of the week," Jazmine grumbled, sitting up. "For another, there was three of them and one of me. Even if I _could _fight, which, I'm not gonna lie, I can't-" Riley snickered. "How in the world could I take on those three…_amazons_, when I'm barely five seven and didn't hit a hundred pounds until last year?"

"True," Cindy agreed. "Well, at least your parents weren't _too _mad about your suspension."

"Yeah, if you don't call two weeks of no phone, no leaving the house except for school, and no TV "not too mad"." Jazmine frowned, closing her good eye and flopping back down. "This sucks. At least I can still have visitors. Then again," She added when Riley continued to laugh. "I'm not so sure if that's a good thing."

"Girl, boo." Cindy waved her hand. "I gots you! These two weeks are gonna fly by, trust me."

"I hope so." Jazmine swallowed. "I can't feel my legs."

"Oh, that's my bad. I'm sitting on them." Cindy climbed off of her, scooting to the other end of the bed. Riley was on Jazmine's computer, surfing the internet. "Did you hear about Maya? She had to be taken to the hospital."

"Really?" Jazmine bolted up. "Why?"

"Apparently, this isn't official yet, but I heard the assistant principal talking about it to the coach…she has an aneurysm."

Jazmine's jaw dropped, then she winced. "Really?"

"Yup. They said if she would've ran there's a good chance it would've ruptured and she could've died." She wiggled her finger towards Jazmine's face. "So maybe it's a good thing they were splittin yo lip on the track, cause the delay caused them to find it."

"Haha. Funny."

"Don't worry." Cindy shrugged. "In five years, we'll all be laughing about it."

Jazmine blinked. "But currently, I'm not laughing. So _shut up_, Riley!"

"What?" Riley spun around, still laughing. "Watchu gon do, yellow? You gon fight me? Oh, wait?" His cheeks puffed up from him holding in his laughter and then he was at it again. "You can't fight!"

Cindy threw a pillow at him. "You're impossible."

Jazmine sighed, staring at the ceiling. "This sucks."

Then again, if Maya was alive because of it…she sighed, managing a tiny smile. If her being beat up meant someone got to live longer, then it was worth it.

"OW!" Jazmine sat up, punching Riley in the side of the neck; he gasped, falling over. "THAT HURT!" He'd poked her _hard _in her bruised ribs. "You ass! I hate you!"

Alright, so for the time being…there was nothing positive about this. At all.

Story of her life.

* * *

So, thank you for reading! And please, make my day and warm my sick heart by leaving a review. THANKSSSSS.

-Kelsey


	7. Karma Police

To my faithful reviewers, you're the best. To the rest of you, YOU SUCK. Haha, just kidding. Honest. I'm kidding.  
...I'm KIDDING! GEEZ!

Heh. Thanks to Leka10 ans MizzC for the reviews.

Um, the chapter title is from a song I was listening to practically the entire chapter titled "Karma Police" by Radiohead. And I think I may hate this chapter, subtract a few parts. Blarggghhh...

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks isn't mine. Grr._

* * *

Karma Police

It was raining _again_.

Huey stared out the window into the darkness from his desk, watching the rain drops pelt the glass. He tapped his pencil, returning to his homework.

He couldn't shake it; it was an odd feeling, a slight stab of intuition. They said that females were the intuitive ones, but most of them had nothing on him. He could feel trouble coming from miles away. Like now. Something wasn't right.

He'd get these feelings a lot, actually. He'd just gotten to the point where he didn't even say anything since no one bothered to listen anyways. All Grandad did was laugh, and Riley just told him he "wanted attention". Which was pretty odd, considering half the time he either stayed in his room or he wasn't home to begin with.

Maybe, just maybe, for once he was imagining it.

"You're not."

He spun around in his chair to see a frail looking woman with gray hair and glasses perched on the end of his bed, a cane in between her hands. She blinked at him with tiny, beady eyes. He sighed.

No wonder Jazmine was usually so irritable. This got really old, really fast.

"You're not what?" He asked, not even bothering to ask her why she was there. His bedroom door was shut so thankfully no one would witness what appeared to be him talking to himself. She shrugged.

"You're not imagining it." She raised her chin. "There's trouble coming, and you're right at the center of it."

His eyebrow rose. "Really?"

She nodded.

"Who are you?"

She sighed. "The name's Fran Rodriguez, honey. And you can stop looking so angry now. It's not a good look on such a handsome face."

He blinked. "I'm…not angry."

"Oh." She snorted. "Then maybe it's just your face. You should think about rearranging it."

He glared at her, turning back to his textbook. "You should think about leaving now."

"Oh, don't be like that," She laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, I'm sorry. I had no idea that you were sensitive."

"I'm _not _sensitive." He set down his pen. "Seriously, what are you _doing _here? I'm not even supposed to be seeing ghosts. I don't even know where it came from. So if you could go away that would be great."

Fran shook her head. "Sorry, angry boy. I was searching for the moron who killed me and happened to come across you. I thought you were a mortal and wouldn't notice me."

"I_ am _a mortal."

"Hmm. You sure about that?" She gestured towards herself. "Because last time I checked, mortals couldn't see transparent objects."

He sucked his teeth. "I _told _you, I don't know how it happened."

Fran shrugged, slowly easing herself to her feet. She narrowed her eyes, studying him. "You look a lot like him," She murmured. Huey's gave her a blank look.

"Look like who?"

She snorted. "The guy who killed me."

He straightened.

"I'm not saying you _are_," She went on, waving her hand. "From a glance you look exactly like him, but close up you can just tell. You're different." She smirked. "Well, you both had the angry look thing going on-"

"What's your point?"

She shot him a dirty look. "My point, young man, is that you'd better watch your back," She said. She began to fade. "Can't tell young people _anything_…"

Huey blinked then shook his head, sighing and returning to his homework. At least until he bolted up upon hearing a suddenly banging outside the hallway.

"Ow! Grandad!" Riley yelled. "I tripped ova yo nasty ass Speedo! Why you tryna kill me and traumatize me at tha same time?!"

"Nigga, hush!"

Huey rolled his eyes.

---

"Knock knock." Jazmine poked her head into the hospital room, offering a tiny smile. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Maya mumbled from her hospital bed. She sat up, looking slightly confused as Jazmine shuffled in, holding some flowers. She winced.

"You're…Jazmine." When Jazmine blinked and nodded she smirked, lying back against the pillows. "Sorry. My short term memory's pretty shitty right now. I've got everything down but names so I had to make sure I got it right. I called Caesar "Tyrone" earlier and he about had a stroke. At least," She muttered, scratching her bandaged head. "I'm pretty surehis name was Caesar…"

Jazmine smirked as well, handing her the flowers and sitting in the chair beside her bed. "It is Caesar. And he's not really a Tyrone. Maybe a Tyrell, or a Darryl."

Maya nodded. "True." She set the flowers aside. "Thanks. So, what's going on?"

Nothing had been going on. Literally. Besides doing the mounds of homework that Cindy dropped off at her house every afternoon and doing tons of chores around the house (since her parents refused to let her just lounge around during her suspension), Jazmine either got on the computer, read, or stared at her ceiling. Well, Cindy being over a lot certainly helped, and she was still tutoring Riley, but still. She'd only been grounded for three days. How the hell would she survive the other eleven days to come?

Her parents, her dad insisted on explaining to her, weren't angry, but they couldn't let her suspension go by unpunished.

"We just don't want you to let this become a pattern," Her dad had said, his arm around her shoulders. "Your suspension's already going to go on your permanent record, and you're going to be applying to colleges next year. They look down on that sort of thing. Not to mention, if you keep this up you could wind up in jail being anally raped!"

Needless to say, that hadn't been a _too _awkward conversation.

As selfish as it sounded, she had used Maya as an excuse to get out of the house. She just needed some sun. Some fresh air. _Something _that involved her enjoying the beauty of outdoors that didn't involve her cleaning out the gutters. Ugh.

Jazmine rested her cheek in her hand. "I'm just enjoying the life that being suspended from school offers me." She sat up. "And when I say enjoying I mean I'm two seconds away from throwing myself off my roof."

Maya laughed. She examined Jazmine's face. "What's wrong with your eye? And your jaw?" She leaned closer. "And your nose is kind of bruised…"

"Oh, you know." She shrugged. "Being beat up does that to you."

Maya's eyebrows rose. "You fight?"

Jazmine grimaced. Obviously she didn't remember too much about the fight. "Well…I tried. And then this happened." She pointed to her face. Maya smiled. "But how are you feeling?"

She nodded, staring towards the window. "Ready to go home. I'm so tired of being in the bed. I was supposed to only have to be in here for about three days, but then the stupid aneurysm burst while I was in surgery so I have to be in here for at least a _week. _Luckily, I've been getting my homework brought to me by…" Her face scrunched up as she struggled to think of a name. Jazmine gave her a sympathetic look.

"Caesar?"

She shook her head."

"Hiro?"

"No." Maya pointed at her triumphantly. "Huey."

"Ah." Jazmine settled back in her chair, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knee. Maya took a deep breath before she went on.

"Then again, I do have a really cute male nurse."

Jazmine rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Maya tipped her head to the side. "You don't like anyone?"

Whoa. She came to visit her at the hospital and all of a sudden they were friends? She looked up and noticed the morphine drip hooked up to her IV. Ah. No _wonder _Maya was being so nice.

Jazmine shook her head. Maya's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Really?" When Jazmine nodded she whistled. "Wow. I mean, I know you're not much of the social type, but I thought you at least dated." She sat up straighter, her eyes narrowed. "You _do _date, don't you?"

Jazmine bit her lip, her face coloring. Maya's eyes widened and she laughed, covering her face with her hands. Jazmine shot her a dirty look. If all she was going to get for bringing a girl she barely got along with flowers was made fun of, then she might as well have stayed home and finished mowing the damn lawn. Geez. Maya must have detected Jazmine's changing attitude since she stopped, shaking her head.

"I'm not laughing _at _you. Honest," She insisted, raising her hand when Jazmine gave her a doubtful look. "I'm just really surprised. I mean, you totally have the quirky, nerdy, cute thing going on."

Jazmine was surprised. She did? "I do?"

Maya nodded. "I mean, don't be afraid to use a straightener every now and then on that hair," She suggested, eyeing Jazmine's poofy ponytail at the base of her neck. "Then again, that hair kind of works for you. It's your thing, you know?"

"I have a thing?"

"Apparently." Maya's eyebrows lifted. "Darius Long thinks you do."

Her face was _really _red now. So Maya couldn't remember her best friend's names, but she could remember _Darius Long_? "Does not."

"Does. You're just too busy to notice because you're always daydreaming or tripping all over the place," Maya pointed out. "I don't know what a top notch senior would want in a gangly junior like you, but whatever." Jazmine shot her another look. "_What_? I'm being honest."

Jazmine shook her head, closing her eyes. Of course she was.

Maya stroked her chin, grinning.

"I could set you two up," She said, making Jazmine look at her again. "He's cute. He's not dumb. He's funny." She snapped her fingers. "Got it! I bullied Huey into taking me to this concert next Friday night. I could invite Darius, invite you, and make it a double date sort of thing!"

Jazmine frowned. "Can't." When Maya gave her a look Jazmine shrugged. "Grounded until the Monday after."

"Ugh." Maya crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. "Lame."

"Well, that's how it is." Jazmine glanced at the clock and winced, pushing herself to her feet. "Speaking of grounded…I'm sorry. I got a reprieve to come see you, but I don't have that long before I gotta be back home. I had to take the bus."

Maya nodded, placing her palms on either side of her and sitting up. "Thanks," She said, smiling. Jazmine nodded, starting for the door. "I mean it," She said, a little louder. Jazmine glanced over her shoulder. "I mean, I know we're not the best of friends. At least, I don't think so." Her eyebrow rose. "Right?"

Jazmine couldn't help but smirk. She nodded.

"And I know I can't stand your best friend Debbie-"

"Cindy."

"Well, whatever." She shrugged. "But you…you're okay. Weird. Different." She nodded again, slower. "But nice. You're okay."

"Thanks." Jazmine continued for the door. "Get better."

"Wait!" She tried again. Jazmine sighed, slowly turning back around. She laced her fingers together, looking nervous.

"Huey's your neighbor, right?" When Jazmine nodded she leaned back, studying her bedspread. "Well…does he ever mention me? Like, you know," She went on when Jazmine gave her a 'Dur?' expression. "Does he ever _say _anything?"

Great. One of Cindy's enemies was trying to get her to set her up with her neighbor. For heaven's sakes, she'd just wanted to get out the house and do a good deed. Why did she always get suckered into doing something for people?!

"Um…sometimes," Jazmine said, trying to be nice to Maya while not giving away what Huey had told her. They were, after all, _somewhat _friends. "I mean, do you want me to try and like…set you up or-"

"Yes _please_," Maya said quickly. Jazmine blinked. "I mean, we're friends. Really, really good friends. We've been that way since I moved here when I was thirteen." She frowned. "But I mean, I want more. And sometimes I think he _might_, but he's so damn hard to read when it comes to that type of thing and-"

"Say no more." Jazmine held up a hand, shaking her head when Maya went to open her mouth. "No, really. Don't." She nodded, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her shorts. "I'll see what I can do. I can't make any promises but I'll try. It's no big deal."

Maya's face lit up. "Thanks."

"Uh huh." She opened the door, giving Maya a look. "Now, do us both a favor and get out of here as soon as possible. That way you can set _yourself_ up with him instead of me doing all the work."

Maya stuck out her tongue. "Well, do the world a favor and let that face heal up. God, you look like something out of a horror movie."

Ah. Well, she was getting back to normal. Jazmine shook her head, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her. She sighed, setting down the hallway so that she could start on her long journey home.

---

"Does anyone _ever _dust up here?"

"If you're so worried about it, then do it yourself."

Huey shot Jazmine a dark look. They were up in her attic, a large, dusty space that was a mixture of crawl space, holes in the floor, and regular wooden flooring. What made it so much fun to go through was the fact that there was no light bulb and they had to resort to using flashlights. Oh, what joy.

"Why are we up here?" He asked, coughing as he somehow unearthed a pile of dust. Jazmine shook her head, rummaging through a box.

"I had a dream last night," She said, fishing through the dusty contents and letting out a tiny sneeze. "There's something important up here. Only, I don't know what."

"_Wow_." He drew out the word so that it was two syllables. "_Something _important. That narrows it down."

Jazmine narrowed her eyes at him. "You do a lot of complaining, considering that _once again_, I didn't ask you to come up here with me." She waved the beam of her flashlight in his face. "I never realized how nosy you were."

He sucked his teeth. She went back into the box, sitting on her heels. He found a box of his own, shined his flashlight in it, and, deciding against going through all that damn dust, sat back himself.

"I saw your grandmother Monday afternoon," He said, making her pause. "While you were busy getting reprimanded for starting a fight. Which, was pretty funny by the way."

"Yes." Jazmine's tone was filled with sarcasm. "There's nothing funnier than getting jumped by three girls in the middle of a track in front of the majority of the student body." She turned around to face him, setting down her flashlight so that it made a wide, circular beam on the low ceiling. "So, what did she say?"

He frowned. "She said that by me knowing what I know, in the long run it'll get you in trouble."

Jazmine snorted, clapping her hands together in an attempt to get the dust off of them. "Well," She said in an even tone. "I tried to tell you that before."

His eyebrow rose. "It's that serious?"

"It's that serious." She rested her hands on her knees. "I don't know much as I should about most of these things. My grandmother died before I completely had a grasp of what was going on. My mom hasn't ever shown any sign of having any powers. All I can pick up is whatever information I get from ghosts, or the few things my grandma's allowed to tell me when she pops up. The thing about ghosts is that they have rules, too. She can't just tell me every little thing, otherwise _she _could get in trouble. It's…really complicated."

"So, you're going to have to wipe my memory." He made a face. He didn't really like the idea of that.

She sighed. To his surprise, she shook her head.

"No."

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "_No_?"

"No," She repeated. When his puzzled look deepened she shrugged. "For one, I'm not quite sure how, and I'm pretty sure you don't want me giving you permanent, long term amnesia. It's not a difficult thing to do."

"I'd rather not go through that, thanks."

She smirked. "Another reason," She added. "Is that I'm still not sure why you're seeing dead people. And I can't just erase your memory unless I fix that first. Otherwise you'll be seeing things, you, being the rational person you are, will think you're losing your mind, and you could wind up anywhere from in a mental hospital to dead. It's messy."

He grimaced.

"A third reason," She added softly, raising one knee. "The one that would probably get me in the most trouble…Is that I don't want to."

He blinked. She snorted at his expression, turning towards the box again.

"Why not?"

She stopped. "Does it really matter?"

"A little. Yeah."

She swallowed, pressing her lips together. Finally, she glanced at him.

"It's just…somewhat of a relief," She said, looking down at the floor. "That there's someone out there who doesn't think I've completely lost my mind."

He shrugged. "You still have your moments."

"Shut up." She dug back into the box and he straightened.

"She also said," He went on before he could forget. "That history had a way of repeating itself."

She paused, her hands resting on the edge of the cardboard. He stared at the back of her head.

"What does that mean?" He asked. She turned towards him, biting her lip. Finally, she sighed.

"Okay." She picked up her flashlight, tapping the side of her face with it. Her black eye, which was healing and therefore turning an odd dark green, looked even worse in the shadow. "I…am a reincarnation."

Huey blinked. She stared at him, as if waiting for it to sink in. He gave her a skeptical look.

"You're going to have to explain that one."

Jazmine sighed, leaning against the box and raising her knees, her feet propped on a wooden beam in between them. "My great-grandmother that you heard my dad talking about on my birthday is me in a past life," She said. Huey frowned.

"You're kidding." He shook his head. "Okay, I'm not quite following this one."

"What is there to follow?" Jazmine said, her voice harboring irritation. "I. Have been here. Before. At least, my soul has been."

Huey burst out laughing. "You seriously believe that stuff?" He asked. Jazmine glared at him.

"Yes. I do." She leveled him with a stare. "Just like you believe in ghosts." He stopped laughing abruptly. "What do you think they are if not souls?"

Huey shrugged. She shook her head, rolling her eyes and focusing the beam on the ceiling again.

"I was due in October," She said quietly, examining the light on the ceiling. "My great-grandmother died on September 9, 1994 at 5:12 pm. Sixteen minutes later, I was born. Two days before I died, she wrote me a letter explaining what I was, when I would be born, when she'd die, and what my life would be like. She knew I'd be a girl when the doctors had told my parents I was going to be a boy. She left that locket you broke as an inheritance for me. I was supposed to never open it and to guard it. Unfortunately, you kind of screwed that up…"

Huey sucked his teeth.

"She said that I was of her and she is of me," She went on. "We're the same person. Unfortunately, I never got the letter. My mother never gave it to me. Another letter wound up appearing, but after I had a run in with my great-grandmother herself it disappeared. I only even know about it because my grandma told me." She looked back at him. "So, excuse me for not thinking it's too funny."

He scowled at her.

"Reincarnations…they're more common than people think," She said. "I met the reincarnation of a Civil War soldier on Halloween last year after I went to the Woodcrest Cemetery to do a séance-"

"What?!"

"It's a long story." Jazmine waved her hand. His eyebrows rose.

"You _do _that kind of stuff? Séances and exorcisms and things like that?"

"No. Rarely." She sighed. "Occasionally. I really don't like to, since they're the stereotypical actions of what people consider "witches". And I hate that word. I'm not a witch." She shrugged. "But sometimes, ghosts get mean. And you've got to get rid of them before they screw up things for everyone else."

He snorted. "Wow. So, when it comes to the supernatural world you're a bit of a badass." He pointed to her face. "The mortal world, however-"

"Shut up." Even though she sounded annoyed she was smiling. He scooted closer.

"So." He sneezed. The dust was ridiculous. "What else did you great-grandmother say?"

She shrugged. "I can only remember what my grandma told me, since she had to write it for my great-grandmother. She was really sick," She explained. "She said that I would be alienated and that no one would understand me. She said that I'd always be lonely, like the rest of my ancestors who came before me. She said that I couldn't let my powers control me and that I couldn't try to save the world."

"Which, you already do."

Jazmine shot him a dirty look. "Do not."

"Um, you do." He gestured to him. "You let three girls beat you up so that you could save someone else."

"It was the least I could do."

"You almost got crushed by a semi trying to save someone else!"

"I'm not coordinated. And that someone else was your brother. I thought you'd be appreciative of that."

"I never said I wasn't. And as I recall, he's not the only one who needed saving. I figured you'd be grateful as well."

She glared at him. He stared at her, then shook his head. "You're very eccentric."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're very inquisitive." She poked her tongue out. "You're not the only one who knows big words."

He shook his head before sneezing again. She sighed, brushing off her jeans and rising to her feet, holding her flashlight.

"I don't want you to sneeze to death," She said, shaking her head. "Come on. I'll come back up here another day."

He shrugged. "You sure?"

"Yup." She started to step over the wooden beam that stuck up, but the her shoelace got caught on the wood and she stumbled, letting out a tiny squeak and falling over, which resulted in a rather large cloud of dust flying up and an annoyed Huey glaring up at her, since she wound up falling straight on him. Her face turned pink.

"I'm sorry!" She breathed, pushing herself up so that her weight was on her hands. He shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"It could be worse." He smirked up at her. "I could be getting jumped by Bryce Palese and her treasure troll sidekicks."

Jazmine laughed, shaking her head and staring down at him. "You're not funny."

"You're laughing. Apparently, I am."

They stared at each other for a few more seconds before, realizing that she was still on top of him, Jazmine jumped back. She exhaled loudly.

"Sorry," She repeated, climbing to her feet and holding out a hand for him to take hold of. He did, letting her pull him up to his feet as well.

"No problem."

"Right! So-" She picked up her flashlight, starting for the attic door. "I guess I should get back downstairs before my parents get home and see that I haven't done much around the house."

"Yeah." He dusted himself off as well, following behind her. "I've got homework."

Jazmine reached the door, pulling it open. She suddenly stopped, giving him a look.

"Thank you." When he raised an eyebrow she shook her head. "I mean, for helping me. Even though I didn't find what I was looking for."

He shrugged. She turned back around.

"Remember last Friday, when you told me that you couldn't tell me about your powers?"

She nodded slowly, her hand on the door. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Well…you just told me basically everything, and you probably weren't even conscious of it." She blinked; obviously that hadn't dawned on her until then. "So, maybe you should try to realize that not everyone's on a mission to sell your secret out to the government or anything." He held the door open for her. "You don't have to be so cryptic. You don't have to make things so hard."

She nodded at him, giving him a funny look before turning back around and starting down the stairs. She paused, whirling back around to look up at him.

"So…do you _want _me to erase your memory?"

He looked at her. "What the hell kind of question is that? I don't think _anyone _wants their memory to be modified. I mean," He continued. "I'd understand if you _have _to since if you don't it could get you into trouble. But I don't want you to."

She nodded, turning back towards the front. She sighed.

"Then, I won't." She shrugged, saying it more for her benefit then his own. "I won't do it." She glanced back at him. "Okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

She head down the stairs, reaching the second floor and disappearing around the corner. He shook his head, turning around to close the attic door.

---

_It was dark. God, he hated being out in the middle of Baltimore when it got dark out._

_He sped walked through the alleyway, a wary expression his face and his eyes constantly scanning the perimeter. He knew that walking through alleyways alone was a stupid thing to do, especially with all the murders that had been happening in the area, but it was the shortest way to his car. And honestly, what were the odds that he'd be a victim? He didn't mess with anyone. He was just a month shy of retirement. He lived with his wife in their fourth floor apartment and two cats. Who would want anything from him?_

_He kept walking, ignoring the cold breeze that seemed to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was late summer, so the occasional cool breeze was to be expected. He sighed in relief as the end of the alleyway came in sight and smiled, beginning to hum quietly to himself._

_At least, until the figure materialized in front of him._

_He gasped, his eyes wide. He rubbed them, taking a step back and blinking rapidly. Was he imagining things?_

_"H-hello?" He asked, a slight tremor in his voice. The figure took a step forward, his mouth curled upwards into a menacing sneer. The man let out a strangled cry as he stumbled, falling backwards and quickly sitting up, bracing his hands underneath him. The figure drifted forward, his expression cold._

_"Please!" The man pleaded, reaching into his pocket with trembling fingers and grabbing his wallet, practically throwing it at the figure. He let out a low cry when it seemed to go right through him. "What do you want? Take my money! Take anything! Just spare my life, please…"_

_The figure tsk tsked, shaking his head. "Silly mortal," He said in a voice that sent a chill down the man's spine. His hand slipped from underneath him and he looked down to see a page of the newspaper underneath it. He must have crawled back onto it without paying any attention. "Always thinking that your material possessions are what make you desirable." _

_The man's voice shook. "T-then…what do you want from me? What do you _need _from me?"_

_The figure laughed coldly, stepping forward._

_"I need your name," He said. He brandished a dagger from behind his back. "I want your life."_

_The man screamed, and everything faded into darkness._

"AHHH!" Jazmine shrieked, bolting up in her bed. The lights suddenly came on and she screamed again, getting so worked up that she wound up getting tangled up in her covers and almost fell out the bed. Two firm hands gripped her arms and she yelled, bringing one hand back and smacking whoever it was in the face.

"YEOW!" Her father yelled, falling back and gripping his cheek. Jazmine covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes widening. Her mother's own hands flew up to grab Tom's shoulders as she crouched down, inspecting his face. "Jazmine! What the hell?"

"Daddy!" She dropped her hands, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry!"

He winced, moving his jaw around and shaking his head, taking a deep breath of his own. "What's going on?" He asked, panic filling his voice. She shook her head.

"I was having a bad dream. I'm sorry."

Sarah bit her lip, sitting down beside her. "What happened?" She asked, her tone sounding sincere. Jazmine had gotten good at reading through that though, so she could hear the wariness that was behind it. She shook her head, turning away and lying back down.

"It was nothing."

"The way you were screaming it had to be something," Her dad said, shaking her shoulder. "Come on. What happened?"

Jazmine sighed, sitting up. She massaged her temples with her fingertips.

"I dreamed that a man was getting murdered," She said softly. She'd leave it at that. Any more detail and they'd be arguing about her sanity in a matter of minutes. Her mother hesitated then nodded, rising to her feet again.

"Well, it was only a dream." She grabbed Tom, who was still blubbering about his face, by the elbow and dragged him after her. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

Jazmine nodded. They flipped off the light again and she flopped back down, turning towards her digital clock. _September 20, 1:37 _am, it read. She groaned, pressing one of her pillows over her head.

In her dream, the murder had been on September twenty-fifth, exactly five days from then. It had been in Baltimore. It was also the furthest into the future she'd ever seen. Was that a part of coming into her full powers as well?

She tossed the pillow aside and rolled onto her back, resting her palms over her stomach and staring up at the ceiling.

People were murdered. Every day. Every minute. People died, and that was a fact.

But if she saw it happening, of all the deaths that were occurring…then she had to stop it. She couldn't just ignore it, not when it was an innocent person just looking to live their life. The odd part was, she'd gotten a good view of the murderer's face…but she couldn't remember what it looked like.

Odd. She _always _remembered details from her visions. Always. Everything from the color shoelaces someone had to the ketchup stain that was on their pants leg. Her memory was good that way. So, forgetting the spirit's face? That wasn't good at all.

So, that was that. She'd go to Baltimore. She'd stop the murder.

Only, she had two problems. For one, how was she going to get there? For another…

How was she going to get out the house when she was grounded?

---

_'An electron on the surface of liquid He is bound 10 nm above the surface by the polarization of the liquid He. Determine the electrostatic energy of the electron relative to infinity.'_

Fuck _that_.

Okay, whoever had invented Physics was a moron. Huey hated Physics. He didn't hate many things (fine, that was a _lie_, but whatever), but one of those things at the top of the list was Physics. The only thing worse was AP Physics.

Unfortunately, AP Physics was where he was currently stuck.

Alright, hate wasn't the right term. On the contrary, Science was one of his favorite subjects. Most days, Physics was the least of his problems. It was a lot of math involved (which, he honestly _did _hate) and it was a lot of formulas, but it involved memorization and logic. He enjoyed memorization as well as logic. He thrived off logic. Only right now, his mind was on more illogical things. It wasn't like him to daydream, or ignore schoolwork to think about personal problems.

Then again, it wasn't like him to see dead people. It wasn't like him to be thinking about a certain girl he knew that could see the future. It wasn't like him to be thinking of a _girl _during class time anyways! Even he didn't think about Maya while he was working on postulates or writing up a research paper, and he liked her! What did that mean?

In fact…Jazmine had been lingering in his thoughts from when he'd picked her up for school earlier that morning and had left her at her locker.

What did _that _mean?

How stupid. He was looking into nothing. They were friends. They weren't even _that_. They were two people who lived across the street from each other and now happened to hang out because they had a common denominator; they could both see supernatural beings. And as soon as she fixed that, they wouldn't even have _that_. Besides, he liked Maya.

It wasn't that he _liked_ Jazmine, at least not in that way. She was, however, undeniably interesting. It wasn't just her powers that made her that way, but how she acted because of them. For the first time in his life, there was someone who he couldn't just look at and read like a book. It was ironic, considering that just a few years ago she'd been the simplest person to see through. Now, he felt like he didn't know her but somehow did, all at the same time. She was different, yet exactly the same. It was confusing.

He shook his head and glanced up from the science problem to see an unfamiliar figure staring through the window in the door at him. His eyes widened.

It turned around, disappearing from the door.

_Seriously_?! He could have ignored it. Really, he could've. He could just sit there, do his work and focus on the living, _breathing _people around him…

Curiosity killed the cat.

He threw his hand into the air, inwardly groaning. The teacher looked up from some papers he was grading, shrugging.

"I don't care," He said nonchalantly, adjusting his glasses. "Just go."

That worked. Huey got out his chair, walking as casually as possible to the door so he wouldn't look like a complete psycho. He opened it, stepping outside before closing it behind him. He took a deep, calm breath, then turned around.

"What the hell?!"

The ghost shrugged, offering him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, dude," He said, folding his arms across his chest. "I needed a medium. And quick."

"I am _not_," Huey said, stepping away from the door and starting down the hallway. "A medium." He looked all around the hallway to make sure no one was around to overhear him. "Now, go away."

"Aw, come on." The boy, around his age, followed him. He was wearing a black leather jacket and had a lip ring, along with an eyebrow ring, a tongue ring, and a whole bunch of other piercings Huey wasn't going to bother noticing. "Don't be like that. I need your help."

Huey shot him a dirty look. "What?"

The ghost took a deep breath. "I was in a motorcycle crash three nights ago. They got my body and all my belongings…but they forgot the ring."

Huey gave him a look. "The ring?"

"The ring." The guy nodded, his blond hair falling over one of his eyes. "I was on my way to my girlfriend's house. I was going to ask her to-"

"Wait a minute." Huey held up a hand. "You pulled me out of my _physics class_…to help you find a piece of jewelry."

"It's important!"

"You're dead! What the hell do you need a ring for?" He eyed him. "Don't you think you have enough of them?"

The ghost glared at him, his fists clenched. "It's not about me and it's not _for_ me, if you'd been listening," He snapped. "It's about my girlfriend. Look, she's devastated. We'd been arguing a lot. I had a drug problem. I'd gone to rehab, cleaned myself up, and I ain't seen her in three months. We'd fought and she'd broken up with me so I tried to marry her and she told me if I got clean she would. That's what I did. And now, I can't. I can't propose, I can't marry her, I can't spend the rest of my sorry existence trying to make her happy because I'm_ fucking dead_!" He yelled, making Huey blink. "The least you can do is let her know that I love her!"

Huey stared at him for a long moment. He finally let out a long, drawn out sigh, turning on his heel.

"Let me…go get my stuff." He glared at the ghost, as if daring him to cop an attitude. "_Okay_?"

He held up his hands. "Alright, man. Cool it." He shrugged. "I'll be right here. Not like I've got anywhere else to be."

"Haha. Funny." Huey shook his head, going back into the classroom. He crept to his desk, grabbed his textbook and car keys, and straightened.

"Um-"

The teacher flipped a page he was grading without even batting an eyelash. "You have the highest average in my class. I don't care _what _you do. Goodbye, Freeman."

Wow. The advantage of being a senior. No one gave a shit. He shrugged, rushing out the classroom and closing the door again. He gave the ghost a scowl.

"What's your name?"

"Mekhi."

He didn't look like a Mekhi at all. With all those piercings and black be could pass for a _Lucifer_, but definitely not a Mekhi.

"Look," Huey said as they set off down the hallway. "We've got to pick up one more person."

Mekhi shrugged. "Whatever, dude."

"Don't call me that." Huey sighed, stopping at room 307A, _Spanish 3,_ and knocking on the door. After a few seconds the door flew open, exposing a stern faced Hispanic woman. There was some Spanish soap opera playing in the background and a few student's laughter.

"Um…" Huey rubbed the back of his neck. This was uncomfortable. "Can I see Jazmine DuBois?"

The teacher gave him a dirty look before whirling around. "¡Jazmín, usted tiene un visitante!" She yelled. "¿Por qué está él aquí?"

Jazmine suddenly popped up at the door, her eyes narrowing when she spotted Huey standing there, then widening when she saw who (or what) was standing behind him. She spun around, facing her teacher.

"Mi abuela. Ella es muerta. Conseguido a su entierro. Ahora voy. Me disculpo, señora Martínez," She said in a grave tone. Mrs. Martinez's eyes filled with tears. Huey and Mekhi's eyebrows rose.

"Usted se va. Lo siento." Mrs. Martinez nodded to Jazmine and she darted out the room, the door closing behind her. Huey and Mekhi blinked at her.

"You said…something about a funeral." Huey gave her a look. "What the hell was that?"

"It was improvising!" She said as they started down the hallway. "She told me I had a visitor and asked why you were here. I saw him, figured you'd need me, and told her my grandmother died and we were going to her funeral, so she told me to go. Technically it wasn't a lie since both my grandmothers _are _dead. My Spanish sucks, alright?"

"No, it wasn't that bad." Huey seemed to be reviewing it in his head. "Your pronunciation was off and there were a few verb issues-"

"Excuse me, aren't you the one in _Latin_? What do you know about Spanish?"

"They're not that different!"

"Um, hello?" Mekhi cleared his throat. "Yeah, could we focus here?"

"Sorry." Huey stopped, causing the other two to do the same. "Jazmine, this is Mekhi. He's a dead ex drug addict who wants us to find his girlfriend's engagement ring and give it to her. Mekhi, Jazmine."

Mekhi glared at him. Jazmine didn't even miss a beat. "Hi. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Just, you know." Mekhi smirked. "Hanging around."

Huey gave them both looks. "Oh, yes. Let's be buddy buddy with the damn ghost."

"Is he always this mean to ghosts?" Mekhi asked.

"He's mean to everyone," Jazmine told him, giving Huey an innocent smile when he glared at her. "Not to mention he usually doesn't see ghosts. He's kinda like a temp," Jazmine explained.

"That would explain the attitude problem." Mehki said in a bemused tone.

"Nah." She smirked. "The attitude is just him."

Huey gave them both a dirty look. Wow. He didn't pull her out class just so she could team up with some wannabe Goth guy and grill him.

"Can we _go _now?" He asked, annoyed. Jazmine nodded.

"Sorry." She glanced towards the other two as they head for the front doors. "Where exactly are we going?"

Mekhi shrugged. "You'll see."

---

"Um, hello?" The woman smiled kindly at them, rubbing her hands on a dishtowel. "Who are you two?"

Huey and Jazmine exchanged looks. They'd gotten to the field where Mekhi had crashed his bike on the outskirts of town three nights before, Mehki vanishing once they arrived. They'd found his ring in a matter of minutes thanks to a vision Jazmine had gotten, showing her the entire crash and the proximity that it had landed in. They'd gotten back into Huey's car, drove to a payphone since Jazmine's phone had been taken and his battery was dead, and took a good ten minutes to track down the address they were supposed to be going to. Then, they'd driven _all the way to the opposite side of town_ and arrived at 2214 Engleside Drive, home to Amy Snow, Mekhi's intended fiancé…at least until he'd hit a tree going eighty miles an hour. Which, Huey had pointed out (earning himself a scowl and a smack in the arm from Jazmine), had been stupid on his part.

Huey didn't know much about what was going on but he knew one thing; someone was going to give him some damn gas money. He only worked on the weekends. Monday through Thursday he was broke Huey. Hell, even Friday to Sunday he was broke Huey! Someone was going to pay him _something_!

"Hi." Jazmine finally stepped forward, her voice slightly shaky. While it was a good thing that her visions were so detailed when it came to finding things, it was bad in a sense that it was easy to witness every agonizing moment of an incident, such as what happened to Mekhi the moment his bike impacted with the tree and caught on fire. There was nothing like watching someone's death like a movie in your mind to mess up your day. It was a good thing he didn't have to deal with _that _at the same time as seeing ghosts. "Um…we have something to give you. We don't have to come in. We just want a minute of your time."

"Not even a minute," Huey mumbled. "I've got Latin. I already missed English-"

"Huey, not _now_," Jazmine said impatiently, closing her eyes and sighing. She turned back to the stunned woman. She was actually rather pretty with wavy brown hair and chestnut brown eyes, which were filled with obvious sadness. How could she actually be with a messed up guy like Mekhi? "Here." She held out the ring, tiny in her palm, yet shiny enough to catch the sunlight and send a patch of rainbows in Amy's face. She blinked. "Mekhi wanted you to have this."

Amy looked at Jazmine, then back to Huey, then to the ring with wide eyes. And then, she burst into tears. Huey winced.

Oh _great_.

"H-how-" She gently took the ring out of Jazmine's palm, her face crumpling. "How did you _get _this?"

Jazmine swallowed, shoving her hands in her pockets. "It came from the crash. One of the morticians found it."

Wow. Jazmine sure had turned into a good liar in the past few years. Amy nodded, pressing her lips together to try and keep from crying harder, even though it wasn't working.

"We'd had a deal," She managed, choking back more tears. "That if he got off drugs that we'd get married. He was a really good guy. A little r-rough around the edges, but his heart…he had a big heart." She let out a tiny sob. "No one g-gave him the time of day because of his looks, and no one knew why we were together b-because we were so different…but I didn't care. People could judge all they wanted but none of it mattered to me. I loved him. And he loved me. He got clean, b-but-"

"I know," Jazmine said, her eyes welling up as well. Huey inwardly groaned and turned away. This was too much emotion for his insensitive brain to compute.

"Um…I'll be in the car…"

"Wait!" Amy managed. He stopped. She managed a tiny smile. "T-thank you. You don't know how much this means to me-"

"It's okay. Really." Huey sighed as she suddenly rushed up and threw her arms around his shoulders, crying into his neck. He gave Jazmine a look who shrugged back, shaking her head. After a few seconds Amy let go, giving Jazmine a hug of her own. She stepped back, resting her hand on the doorframe.

"I just wish he knew," She said quietly. "That I still loved him. That I love him, even now."

Jazmine nodded. "I think he does."

After a good five more minutes of thanks yous and tears, the door finally closed and Huey and Jazmine made their way across the street to his car. "So, do people always get that emotional whenever you do this sort of thing?" He asked, unlocking the door. Jazmine smirked, wiping her eyes.

"Some don't. Some are even worse than she was."

"Oh." They flopped down in their seats and slammed the doors shut. Huey went to start the car as Jazmine fastened her seatbelt.

"The thing about it though," She said, making him stop. "Is that it's painful. Watching other people suffer, it hurts." She shrugged. "But then, you tell them that their grandfather who didn't talk to you in fifty years left you something to show how much he really cared. Or you give them a letter, a note, a photo, or anything that the person who died wanted them to have. And it makes the survivors happy. Even if it's only for a moment, or a second. They're happy." She looked at him. "Seeing dead people sucks. And having premonitions is horrible. But when I use them, I make strangers happy. It's kind of a fair trade." She looked out the window. "I like making people happy. You wouldn't understand."

He shook his head. "You're right. I don't."

She snorted, waving her hand at him. "Just drive."

He sat back, shaking his keys in his hand. The late morning sun beamed overhead.

"It was very nice of you, you know," Jazmine said, making his eyes fly to her face. "For you to help Mekhi out. You could have ignored him. You weren't obligated to go through all of this."

He snorted. "He was plucking my nerves. I never knew how _annoying _dead people were. And I thought the living ones were bad. Besides, I could use the good karma."

Jazmine laughed.

"I guess I felt sorry for him," He added grudgingly. "I'm going to have to make up the work I missed in physics and English and probably Latin. And it's going to suck. But he's dead, so he doesn't have a chance to set things right. So it sucks even more for him."

"Aw." Jazmine looked out the window. "Huey Freeman has a conscience."

"Don't tell anyone." He stared the car, glancing in his side mirror and noticing a blonde haired man giving him a wink and a wave. He rolled his eyes as Mekhi faded off. Jazmine, who didn't notice, leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"Go left," She mumbled as he pulled away from the curb. He eyed her.

"What?"

"You're going to hit a huge pothole unless you _go left_-"

"Oh." Sure enough, he swerved over just in time to miss a crater sized circle in the ground. He glanced over to see Jazmine smirking, her eyes still closed. He shook his head.

"Showoff."

"Nah." She shrugged, smiling. "Just gifted."

He sighed, glancing back to the front. Ridiculous. "Gifted my ass."

She might have had insane powers and had him missing a morning of school to go aid some stranger who happened to be dead, but there could be worse things.

Jazmine…wasn't so bad. Maybe he'd keep her around.

Maybe.

* * *

Thanks for reading! NOW REVIEW!!! ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

-Kelsey


	8. Blast From The Past

I have come to realize that I am a writing fiend who needs professional help. Haha. All I _do _is write. Not just fanfiction but poems, songs, other short stories...I mean, danggggg. And this morning I got so excited over finally knowing what to do with this chapter I stayed up till 3:30 working on it knowing my ass had to wake up for school at 7! Then again I don't sleep much regardless, so oh well...um, thanks to the always wonderful Leka10 and TRIGGER MIKE THE GREAT for the reviews. The rest of ya'll need to JUMP ON IT. :P

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks STILL isn't mine. ARGHHHHH._

* * *

Blast From The Past

_She sat alone on the swing, the wind brushing her hair off her shoulders. The toes of her sneakers dug into the sand below her while her hands gripped the chains that were on either side of her. The skies overhead were a dark gray. She shivered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again._

_They stood in front of her, a hood covering their face so that their identity was hidden. Either way, she knew. Her lips curled up into a small, almost sad smile._

_"I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came for me." She didn't move from her spot. The figure took a step forward, pointing to her neck._

_"You set me free." They laughed dryly. It was a deep, masculine laugh. "What else could you expect?" He shook his head. "Such a fool you are. The James line never seems to learn from their mistakes." He nodded to a point behind her and she froze as a shadow fell over her, no doubt from another person. "You should have abided by the number one rule of your kind."_

_She swallowed, closing her eyes as she felt the cold blade pressing against her throat. "Which is?"_

_His voice, cool and haunting, rang in her ears. "Trust no one."_

Her eyes shot open and she took in a sharp breath to keep from screaming aloud. She slowly sat up, not even bothering to look at her clock. A soft rumble sounded in the distance.

Great. Yet _another _thunderstorm. It seemed as if the worse the weather, the worse her dreams. Had that one been a premonition? Or was it merely a nightmare? She shrugged, pushing back the covers to go get a glass of water. As she passed in front of her mirror a flash of lightning lit up her room and she glanced towards it, gasping as she saw a figure that looked strangely like the one from her dream in her mirror. She spun around, staring at an empty space. She took another deep breath, rubbing her head and continuing out her room. She was going crazy.

Instead of going to the kitchen like originally planned she went into the bathroom, turning on the light and gently closing the door behind her. She felt uneasy, and it wasn't a feeling she liked. Whenever she got it, there was a reason. Everything happened for a reason.

That was why she opened the top drawer underneath the sink and felt along the back of the wood, her fingers closing around a cool, familiar shape. She pulled out the locket, examining the broken chain and sighing, clenching her fist around it. She glanced up into the mirror, her eyes first focusing on the dark circles around them, before taking in her ridiculous hair, her clammy skin…her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, staring at her neck. The fingers on her left hand reached up to brush across a thin, red line that ran horizontally over the space, as if someone had held something to her throat.

Her eyes widened.

It looked as if it had been something sharp…like a blade.

---

She was protecting him and she probably didn't even realize it.

As long as that damn locket hung from her neck, as long as she was anywhere near him with the thing, he was unreachable. It was a fact that would have made his blood boil, had he still been alive. It was torture; he was there, _right there_, and he couldn't be touched.

Then again they were surrounded by people, and how odd would it look if something suddenly happened to him while he was in broad daylight, amidst at least one hundred others? He tuned those ninety-eight others out to focus on the most important two.

He was sitting at a table near the center of the courtyard, surrounded by some guy with dreads, an Asian guy who had a pair of drumsticks and was tapping them on the table, and a girl who was pushing her food around on her tray. His gaze flickered towards the doors that led from inside the building to a girl with a curly, poofy ponytail, who was standing beside a slightly taller blonde. The blonde said something, giving the girl a light shove. The girl took a deep breath, bit her lip, squared her shoulders, and walked towards the table where the others were, pausing in front of it. All four heads whipped up to stare at her.

He snorted in disgust, shaking his head. He didn't have time to watch these two. He had something bigger, something better to attend to. He faded off, no one noticing the slight chill that hung in the air from where he once stood.

---

"Can I sit here?"

She felt stupid. The way they were looking at her made her feel even more stupid. She should have never let Cindy talk her into this.

When she'd left her Greek mythology class about five minutes before, Cindy had caught up to her, grinning. "You," She'd said in her decisive manner. "Look great." She frowned. "Tired. But great." She pointed to her neck. "And hey! You fixed your necklace!"

Which, as nice as it was to hear those words, was a little bit insulting. So she'd traded a hoodie for an elbow length pink jacket, slapped on some lip gloss, put on some colorful new shoes that Cindy had gotten her for her birthday, and suddenly she looked better than before? Goodness.

"Um, thanks." She'd completely missed Cindy's mischievous grin as they walked from the cafeteria to the outdoor courtyard due to lifting her face to the warm sun and sighing. She loved the sun. It was a shame it would start getting cooler soon. She was so busy doing this that she didn't notice Cindy staring towards the table until she dropped her head to glance at her. She looked that way as well. Then, back to Cindy.

Her mind had pieced together the clues at the speed of light.

"No." She shook her head, starting for an empty table near the rear of the courtyard. "No freaking way-"

"Come on!" Cindy whined, grabbing Jazmine's sleeve and tugging her back. "Jazmine, part of _not _being a social leper is _socializing_. Now, I forgave you for ditching Caesar's party a couple weekends ago-"

"How could you even tell? You were too busy trying to make out with him!"

"Shut up!" Cindy said, pinching her. She whined. "Now, you're going to take your cute butt over there and tell them you want to sit with them. Because I _know _you and Huey are friends again."

"We," Jazmine said in a haughty tone. "Are merely acquaintances."

"Well, if you don't go over there, you will be merely acquainted with my foot up your ass. I'll bring up the rear," She said, winking. "You know you want to."

Jazmine had sighed, looking back towards the table. Maya was back now, wearing her hair in a messy bun to most likely hide the stitches in her head. Hiro Otomo was doing some kind of complicated beat on the edge of the table with a pair of drumsticks. Caesar was talking, and Huey was rolling his eyes.

She could do this. After all, they were just all teenagers trying to make it through the hell known as high school, right? They had better things to do than shoot her down.

…_Right_?!

She'd squared her shoulders, trying to walk over with confidence. _Confidence_. She'd stopped in front of the table, and immediately all of them had looked at her. And just like that, the confidence booked it out of there.

Now, she was wincing, already turning on her heel. "Never mind-"

"Wait." She glanced over her shoulder to Huey, who was shrugging. "Yeah. Sure, why not?"

Caesar smiled, moving his backpack so that she could sit between him and Huey. "I knew you'd come around eventually."

"Come around?" Maya asked, looking up from the book she'd broken out. He nodded as Jazmine set her tray down, sitting beside him and resting her hands on her lap.

"I've been inviting her to sit with us since last year. But she was acting like she was too _good _to sit over here-"

"I was not-" Jazmine started, breaking off when she realized he was kidding. Her face heated up and she glanced down to her plate. She did better in one on one conversation, not in groups. She did even better when she was simply Cindy's wingman, or even had Cindy around. When Cindy was around she rarely ever needed to talk; the blonde bombshell did it enough for the both of them. Speaking of…

"Well!" Cindy popped up, holding her own tray and trying her best to look innocent. "Jazmine! I didn't know you were going to sit over here!"

"Of course you did," Huey said, snorting as Cindy gave him a look of surprise. "I could see you telling her to by the door just a minute ago."

Maya snorted as well. Jazmine couldn't help but smirk, giving her best friend a shrug. Caesar beamed.

"Well, the more the merrier, I always say!"

Huey gave him a look. "You _never _say that!"

"Ow!" Jazmine yelped, wincing and rubbing her shin. Caesar's eyes widened.

"Jazmine, I'm so sorry." He glared at Huey, who was glaring back. "I'm so used to sitting next to _that one_ that I forgot you were now in the way of my intended target."

"I…I can move, if you want."

"Don't." Huey shook his head, glancing down at his salad. He looked at her. "He was only kidding. Chill."

She nodded, reaching for her soda. Meanwhile, Cindy had barged her way in between Caesar and Hiro, to Caesar's delight.

"So, how was your evening last night?" He asked, turning towards her. She shrugged, batting her eyelashes.

"Thought about you."

"_Barfffff_," Maya muttered, making a dramatic choking face and grabbing her throat. She stuck out her tongue. Hiro burst out laughing and Cindy shot her a dirty look. "Sorry. I'm allergic to corny."

Cindy gave Jazmine a look but she quickly shoved a forkful of baked beans into her mouth. No way was she getting involved. Hiro snapped his fingers.

"Jazzy fresh." Everyone glanced at him, even though he was looking at Jazmine. "You get your grade from our stats test?"

Jazzy Fresh?

"Umm…" She tried to swallow as fast as she could when everyone looked her way and wound up choking. She coughed, covering her mouth with her hand and trying not to gag. Huey thumped her on the back, which only served in making her spine sore. She quickly straightened, shaking her head and taking a deep breath. "No idea."

She then resumed her coughing. Beside Caesar, Cindy was shaking her head. The others, for their credit, didn't look phased. Huey just looked amused.

"Bull. Shit." He turned to Hiro. "She got a one hundred three. I saw it on the list Mrs. Patterson posted on the door since hers was at the top. Whereas _I _barely got a ninety-two-"

"_You_?" Hiro shook his head, his jaw slack. "I got an eighty four! I thought that broad set us up to fail for real. She hates me."

"Maybe because you're always drumming your damn sticks on your desk in the back of the class and listening to your iPod?" Maya said in a slightly annoyed voice. "You're giving me a headache."

Hiro abruptly ceased his drumming, resting his sticks in his lap. "My bad." He looked at Jazmine. "So, you're good at math."

She shrugged, her face coloring again. "Kind of."

"Bitch, _please_." Cindy rolled her eyes. "She was in Calculus last year. She took trig as a _freshmen_. Unlike my ass, I'm right up in Geometry with that Scooter kid who's in his sixth year of high school and is still only a sophomore-"

_"True_!" Caesar laughed, high fiving her. "Shit, I failed algebra one _twice_."

"May I ask why we're bragging about failures?" Maya asked, giving them a look. "Why would anyone gladly admit to being bad at math?"

"Um, excuse me." Caesar gave her a look. "Aren't you the one in a remedial math class?"

"Yes, bitch. Because I have a _learning disability._" Maya threw a potato chip at him. "You dumbass. I'm also the one who tested into English 12 my sophomore year, so don't play me."

"I'm bad at English." Jazmine shrugged. "Like, really bad. So, that's impressive."

Maya gave Caesar a satisfied look. "See? _Someone _isn't a jerk." She smiled at Jazmine. "I think I'll keep you around, DuBois."

Jazmine smiled.

"Yeah, anyway." Hiro leaned forward. "Did you guys hear about the murders?"

Jazmine looked up at that one. Caesar and Cindy shook their heads while Huey's eyes narrowed. Maya snorted.

"If it's happened within the last week then no." She pointed to her head. "This was kind of my main priority."

"Well, let me enlighten you." He reached down for his backpack, retrieving a newspaper and placing it in the middle of the table, smoothing out the creases. Everyone leaned forward.

"Possible serial killer on the loose," Huey read aloud. "Wow. That's comforting."

"Move," Maya instructed, gently pushing him aside, her own eyes scanning the page and completely ignoring the dirty look he gave her. "So far there's been three deaths; Henry Underwood, Elsie Yarbrough, and Fran Rodriguez."

"Henry Underwood?!" Jazmine let out.

"Fran Rodriguez?" Huey asked. Maya nodded, glancing between them.

"What, you two knew them or something?"

"Uh…" Jazmine shook her head. "He sounded familiar." Huey shook his head. Maya looked back down to the paper.

"They don't even have any leads. And get this; the victims all have some symbol carved into their backs."

Hiro looked disgusted. Caesar shook his head.

"That's sick," Cindy said quietly. Maya nodded, picking up the paper and reading it.

"Let's see…the first murder was in Annapolis, the second one was in College Park, and the third one was in Upper Marlboro."

"Prince George's County?" Cindy frowned. "That's not too far from here."

"No shit, Sherlock." When Cindy shot her a dirty look Maya sighed, rolling her eyes. "Sorry." She folded the paper, handing it back to Hiro. "Three deaths in thirteen deaths. That's not good."

"What's even worse is that there's not even a pattern to go by." Hiro frowned. "Usually there's a correlation between ages or race or gender. But this time? Nothing. You'd think though with all the technology out there it's not as easy to just completely leave officials confused." He thought about it. "Then again, it ain't as if our people are all that bright…"

As the others began discussing it Jazmine put her elbow on the table, "accidentally" causing her fork to fall to the ground beneath them. "Whoops," She said aloud as it clattered beneath her feet. She ducked underneath the table, grabbing the spoon and then tugging on Huey's pants leg. His foot moved and then he poked his head underneath the table, scowling.

"_What_?"

She crooked her finger, gesturing towards him. He sighed, his head disappearing from view. A few seconds later his own fork dropped to the ground and he crouched down, sticking his head under the table.

"You know," He said in a low voice. "I don't enjoy playing games like this."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I drag people under tables for recreational activity," She hissed. Her face turned serious. "All those people dying is no coincidence. I can feel it."

He nodded, glancing over his shoulder and letting his voice drop even further. "Fran Rodriguez showed up a couple days ago," He whispered. Jazmine's eyes widened. "She was trying to find the killer. If Henry came to us and she came to me, there's got to be a connection."

Jazmine nodded, frowning. "They aren't over, either." He gave her a puzzled look. "The murders. Another one's going to happen this Saturday."

"Saturday?" Huey's eyes narrowed. "We've got to get there."

She gave him a look. "You're doing the "we" thing again. No." She shook her head. "Something tells me this is more than a mortal thing. It could be dangerous."

"So? You're crazy if you think I'd let you go by yourself."

"I don't even know if _I _can go." Jazmine looked down. "I'm grounded until Sunday."

He snorted. "You can't get off one day early?"

Jazmine shrugged. "It depends. If it were at night I could sneak out. I've done it before. But it's near sunset. There's no way I could get away with it."

Huey pressed his lips together, thinking. Finally, he looked at her.

"Where does it happen?"

"Baltimore."

He nodded. "You find a way to get out of the house, and I'll drive."

"But-"

"I'm going. Non-negotiable. Sorry." He grabbed his fork, backing from underneath the table and going back up to join the others. Jazmine stared at her own fork, shaking her head.

_"You're crazy if you think I'd let you go by yourself."_

She was used to doing things alone. Yet, somehow…she felt color creeping onto her face.

Somehow, knowing that she wasn't going to be doing this alone made her feel a lot better.

---

"Extra credit time!" The teacher sang, dropping a thin packet of paper on each student's desk. Huey held up his packet with a confused expression.

"A Genealogy assignment?" His nose wrinkled. "For AP _Economics_?"

"That's why it's extra credit," She replied in her singsong voice. "After all, how many of you know where you're from?"

"Easy. Africa." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm done."

The class erupted into giggles. Jazmine, who sat on the opposite end of the class, smiled as she read the packet, her head on her hand and her elbow on the desk. The teacher rolled her eyes.

"I never grow tired of your snarky remarks, Huey." She tapped the board with a ruler. "It's _extra _credit, not mandatory. If you don't want to do it, then by all means, throw the packet away. Use it as tissue. I don't care."

"In that case, why did you bother printing them?" Huey replied, leaning back in his chair and turning his pen in his hands. "In a steadily failing economy with dwindling resources and rising energy costs, don't you think it would have been more effective to-"

"I'm sorry, Huey." She gave him a look. "Would you like to teach the class?"

"Will I get paid?"

"No."

"Then what kind of question is that?"

The class erupted into laughter. She slammed the ruler against the board, making everyone's laughter die down abruptly. She straightened her glasses.

"Right. Look, guys, if you do it, great. If you don't it won't hurt my feelings any. But please, no half-assed, bullshit crap. I always get that one student who thinks they can tell me they're a descendant of some famous person who notoriously didn't have children. So if you're going to lie, be creative."

The class snorted and she turned to the board, grabbing a piece of chalk. "Now, turn to page fifty seven."

Huey opened his book, flipping through the pages along with everyone else. In the corner of his eye he noticed Jazmine's head duck down as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, glancing at the screen. She tucked it back into her shorts and lifted her hand. The teacher, who was writing on the board, didn't notice.

"Um, excuse me," She mumbled shyly. "Mrs. Hilton?" She raised her voice a little but still, nothing. Her fingers flexed. "Mrs. Hilton-"

"Mrs. Hilton!" A guy off the baseball team yelled. "The freak in the front row wants you!"

Jazmine rolled her eyes and a few people snickered. Huey turned around in his chair, his eyes narrowed at the guy.

"Real mature, Collins." The guy glanced at him. "I'd ask how old you are but I don't think you can count that high. By the way, the next town over called? They want their idiot back."

"Ooh!" A few people muttered in quiet tones. The guy glared.

"Wow, Freeman. I didn't know you'd suddenly become a girl, because I thought I was talking about _her_, not you."

"Wow, a _thought _crossed your mind?" Huey snorted. "Must have been a long, lonely journey."

Everyone burst out laughing and Jazmine dropped her hand, a smile spreading across her face. She gave Huey a grateful look while Mrs. Hilton spun around, her hands on her hips.

"Robert, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. Huey, not _today_, okay? And Jazmine, since you're the only female in the front I'm assuming you had the question?"

Jazmine nodded. "Can I use the restroom?"

"Go ahead." Mrs. Hilton shook her head as Jazmine strode past, walking out the door and closing it behind her. "I don't think you should be teasing _anyone_, Collins. Your economics grade is already so low that it's started digging into the ground, and it hasn't even been two weeks yet."

"Burn!" Someone yelled, followed by more laughing. Huey shook his head, raising his own hand. Mrs. Hilton looked at him as everyone continued laughing, except for Robert, who was scowling.

"Can I go to the office?" He asked. Mrs. Hilton's eyebrow rose.

"May I ask why?"

"No."

"Oh." She shrugged, waving her hand. "In that case, by all means."

He smirked, rising to his feet and walking out the door as well, shutting it back and starting down the hallway. He hated how stalkerish he looked, but oh well. He had a feeling that Jazmine hadn't went to the bathroom, and it had something to do with what was going on, then he didn't want to be left out the dark about it. Sure enough, he started to turn the corner onto the next hallway, stepping back when he saw Cindy and Jazmine staring at each other, their arms folded over their chests and their expressions not too happy. Uh oh.

Alright, so maybe he'd been wrong. He started to turn around, but their voices made him stop.

"Why are you looking that way?" He peeked around the corner to see Cindy glaring at her best friend Jazmine blinked.

"What way?"

"Don't play stupid," Cindy said in a low voice. "You have that look you get on your face when you don't approve of something. It's a very distinct look." When Jazmine didn't say anything in response Cindy shook her head, putting her hand on her hip. "Okay. I am confused. What, you don't think I should go out with Caesar?"

Jazmine shrugged, swallowing. Cindy laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Wow. Okay." She snorted. "My mom definitely told me this would happen."

Jazmine gave her an odd look. "Your _mom_?" She asked. Cindy nodded.

"Yeah." She gestured towards her. "She told me ages ago that you'd wind up jealous. And that's exactly what's happening-"

"Whoa, hold up!" Jazmine shook her head, disbelief in her expression as well as her voice. "Jealous? Me? Are you kidding?"

"I wish!" Cindy threw up her hands. "It makes _a lot _of sense!"

"It makes no kind of sense, and I can't believe you'd even think that I'd be that way!" Jazmine shot back, holding her hand to her chest. "We're best friends! What do I need to be jealous of you for?"

"Oh, I don't know." Cindy snarled. "Because I have _friends_? Because I'm outgoing and I talk to people and I actually have a social life?"

Ouch. Huey blinked. Jazmine's eyes narrowed.

"Cindy." Jazmine's voice was sharp. "Stop it."

"_No_." Cindy shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "All I've ever tried to do is get you to fit in, to help get you out of…whatever mode you went into when your grandma died! You turned into this completely different person!"

"Did _not_-"

"Ha!" Cindy shook her head. "That's a lie and you know it. Just because you shit all over your other friendships and aren't happy doesn't mean I'm going to let you bring _me _down. What the hell do you think is wrong with Caesar?"

"Nothing!" Jazmine yelled. "I'm just worried about you!"

"And what makes you think you have to do _that_?"

"Because, Cin!" Jazmine shook her head, her own eyes full. "You probably move at ninety five miles an hour! You fall for guys so quick and then you're calling me at three in the morning to walk to your house or to cry about how they turn out to be jerks! You put your trust into the wrong people, and then instead of learning from it, you mess up all over again!"

"Okay, you know _your _problem?" Cindy poked a finger into Jazmine's chest. "You don't put your trust into _anyone_. You don't even trust your own _parents_. Do you know how sick I get of hearing you whine about all the arguing you do with them or how tired I get of defending you against stupid ass people at this school? You don't trust your own family, you stopped being friends with Huey because you didn't trust him, and you barely trust _me_. I don't even know if you do at all!"

Huey's eyebrows shot up. Jazmine's chin rose and she set her jaw.

"You don't know crap about why I stopped being friends with him."

"Bull_shit_." Cindy's own jaw was clenched. "Don't try to play me like I can't see shit. You liked him forever, and then after your grandma passed away you just ditched him and treated him like-"

"Like _what_?" Jazmine snapped, actually rising to defend herself, which seemed to surprise both Huey and Cindy. "Like he treated me? Like how he made me cry with his mean comments and his jokes? Why the heck do you care, Cindy? You were never friends with him in the first place."

"Well, I'm sure I'm more knowledgeable on the rules of friendship than you are."

"That's not true," Jazmine breathed, but Cindy shook her head.

"You betta go somewhere else with that shit. I'm not an idiot. I'm sorry if _you _have trust issues and you walk around like you're waiting for the world to end, but why can't you just be happy for me?"

Jazmine sighed, shaking her head. She looked even more tired than usual. "Because it never _lasts_," She said, closing her eyes and balling up her fists. She took a deep breath. "You're happy for a good few weeks, and then something happens. You get screwed over, or you get tired of them, or it just falls apart. And then you're miserable. It's a cycle. It's just like how your-" She stopped, shaking her head. Cindy's eyes hardened.

"Go ahead," She said, shrugging. Her voice was filled with anger. "Go ahead and _say _it. We both know what you're thinking."

"No."

"Say it!" Cindy yelled, making her flinch. Even Huey felt himself jump at the loudness of her voice. "Say it so that I can have another reason to hate you."

Jazmine swallowed, opening her eyes. They were wet. "It's just like how your mother acts," She said quietly, looking away.

Huey didn't know much about Cindy, but if there was one thing almost everyone knew, it was that her mother was a notorious player. Not only did she jump from one man to the next but she'd also been engaged so many times and had gotten so much money off her suitors that one would need a database to keep up with it all. To compare Cindy to that…well, it was probably the worst insult she could get. Even if to her, it was the truth.

Cindy nodded. Jazmine sighed. "Cin-"

"No." Cindy held up a hand, cutting her off. "Forget it. You think you're so smart? Then handle your own shit."

"Cindy-"

"Way to be a supportive best friend." She turned on her heel, shaking her head. "I'll be irresponsible and reckless and you can just be miserable and alone! See if I care!"

"Cindy!" Jazmine yelled, but she continued down the opposite end of the hallway, not looking back. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, letting out a loud groan. She spun on her heel as well, storming across the hallway into the bathroom. Huey waited a few seconds before backing away, spinning around and heading back down the hallway. What the hell had _that_ been about?

In a way, it was a bit mean of Jazmine to think that Caesar would intentionally hurt Cindy. Not that it was much of his business, but he knew his best friend. When he was into someone he was _really _into someone. He wouldn't just go off and do something to sabotage whatever relationship they had.

At the same time, it was a lot easier to see where she was coming from now. It was a lot easier, not trusting someone, than to open yourself up to be hurt. Especially when you had a secret that no one could afford to know.

As for them being friends, he'd always just assumed that they'd stopped being friends because they were too different, and that she'd finally figured that out on her own. He'd been wrong. He didn't know why it bothered him the way it did, but…

He stopped when he felt a cold breeze pass over the back of his neck, one that he was sure had nothing to do with the temperature, especially since it still averaged seventy degrees outside and the school hadn't yet got the memo to keep the air on a little longer. He glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head at the empty hallway. His eyes narrowed but he continued to class nonetheless, pushing the argument he'd witnessed away from his mind.

Something was happening and he had no idea what. But he'd stop it.

---

When she walked in the front door, dropping her backpack to the ground, she glanced up to see her mother sitting at the kitchen table, scanning some paper. Jazmine walked past her, opening the refrigerator.

"Hey, mom."

"Hey, sweetie." Sarah looked up, giving her a smile. "How was school?"

"It was…you know." She closed the door, uncapping a bottle of water. "School." When Sarah nodded in response she glanced at the table, which was covered in papers. "What's up with all that?"

"Oh, just some documents I had to go get out of the attic." She rolled her eyes. "It's mostly all old papers and theses from me and your father's days in college. He somehow convinced himself that he graduated with a higher GPA and I had to find the proof to prove him wrong." She peered into Jazmine's face. "You look sad. What's wrong?"

Jazmine started to give her the standard reply, 'nothing', only she stopped. She took a sip of water before sinking into the chair beside her. "Cindy and I got into a fight."

Sarah frowned. "I'm sorry. What was it about?"

Jazmine shrugged. "She thought I was jealous of her because she's got a new boyfriend. I'm not. I was just worried about her getting hurt."

"Well." Sarah's face turned thoughtful. "Has he done anything to indicate that he would do that to her?"

Jazmine looked away. "No."

"Then, maybe she was justified in seeing it how she did. At the same time-" She went on before Jazmine could open her mouth. "It wasn't fair of her to get mad at you for looking out for her."

"I guess." Jazmine rested her chin in her hands. Her mom regarded her, contemplating. Finally, she sighed.

"Your father didn't want me to mention this," She said, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear. "But we're both going out of town this weekend. I've got a sick aunt up in New York and he's going down to Virginia to do something with the Court of Appeals. He was going to ask Robert if you could stay with them for the weekend so that he could keep you inside since you're grounded, but…" She shrugged. "We're both leaving Friday morning and getting back Sunday night, so if you just so _happen _to stay here by yourself for the weekend, and you _happen _to leave the house for whatever reason..." She made a face. Jazmine's face instantly lit up.

"So, I'm off punishment?" She asked, her eyes sparkling. Her mother shook her head.

"No." Jazmine's smile faltered. "Not until Monday." When she winked a few seconds later Jazmine grinned, jumping up and going around the table to hug her.

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome. But _don't _mention it to your father," She said in a severe tone. Jazmine made a face.

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, but just don't. And," She added, her face turning serious. "No more fights. It would have been one thing if you were defending yourself but you started the entire thing. That's not like you."

"I know…" She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"I know. That's all I needed to hear." She snapped her fingers as Jazmine started out the kitchen. "Oh, and one more thing."

Jazmine turned around, watching as her mother rummaged through a cluster of papers, finally pulling out an old, weathered looking book. She held it out to Jazmine, whose eyebrow rose.

"It was your great-grandmother's. It's a diary of some sort, I think," She said quietly, shrugging. "I found it mixed in with the papers. I know you didn't know much about her, especially since you were born the same day she died. So I thought it would be something you might want to read."

Jazmine's eyes widened and she stared at the book curiously. "Wow. Thanks." She took it from her, turning it over her hands and examining the worn leather cover and the yellowed pages. She started for her room once again.

"And honey?"

She glanced at her, the diary clutched to her chest. Sarah gave her a look.

"Don't worry about you and Cindy," She said. "You two will work things out. Okay?"

She nodded before walking out the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time, and racing into her room. She flung the door shut behind her and dived on the bed, slowly running her hand along the cover before slowly opening it.

_'Anya Elizabeth James' _the words read in a loopy, light script. Jazmine blinked. They had the same middle name! She couldn't help but grin, turning the page.

_'August 17, 1920_

_Today is my eighteenth birthday. It does not feel any different from seventeen. It does not really feel much different than sixteen, either. The only difference between this year and my last is that my poor mother is no longer with me. She never was of good health, not since my father was killed, she often told me. Since we lived in the bayou and there are not any doctors around, when the pneumonia came there was not really anything to be done, other than wait it out. Well, obviously, it did not end like I had hoped it would. I had to run into New Orleans and tell them that I had found her. There was nothing more heartbreaking than having to lie about knowing my own mother, just so that I would not be recognized as the daughter whose mother had lay with a black man and gotten kicked out nearly eighteen years before. People have memories as good as an elephant's around here. Luckily, she was given a burial in a meadow by the bayou. I have visited it every day since.'_

Wow. This was depressing. Jazmine made a face, turning the page of the small book and reading on.

_'On my way back to the apartment I stopped to go buy some bread and ran into the nicest man, a carpenter. He smiled at me when I passed and I smiled back. A few people who noticed gave us odd looks, like it's so weird to acknowledge a black man's existence but I ignored them. I keep to myself. These people do not know me. I am glad. After what people have done to my parents, I do not trust them. I cannot trust anyone other than myself.'_

Huh. _That _sounded familiar.

_'I had a run-in with a ghost today as well. She was a little girl who had wanted to be buried with her doll. As trivial as it sounded, getting worked up over a silly little doll, I went to her parent's house that was in the outskirts of town and told them. I lied and said that I just wanted to admire their garden before engaging them in conversation. When they mentioned their daughter's death and her funeral which is to be held tomorrow, I made up some silly nonsense about it being seen as good luck that a little girl be buried with her favorite toy. The mother mentioned the doll and said they would be sure to put it in the casket. Hopefully that little girl can now rest in peace. By the time I was on my way home it was nearing darkness, and I passed the carpenter again. He looked up from what he was doing and we stared. I know, it is rude to do such a thing, but I could not help it. He had the most beautiful eyes and the kindest smile I have ever seen. I told him good evening and walked away. I am sure that he watched me go, and for the first time in my life, knowing that I was being watched by an individual did not make me uncomfortable. Instead it made me feel…good. I hope I see him again. Maybe tomorrow I will go get more bread.'_

There was a sudden knock on her door, followed by the door bursting open. Jazmine's head whipped up as Riley stomped in, folding his arms over his chest.

"Aye!" He yelled, as if he hadn't already had her attention. "I needs ta get wit tha tutorin up in hur!"

"Hello to you, too." Jazmine closed the book and lightly shoved it under her pillow, rolling her eyes. "Don't you know manners?"

"Nigga, please." Riley sucked his teeth. She shook her head, climbing off the bed and stretching.

"Well, before we get started, I never asked you. What did you get on your first test?"

He grinned. "I gotta eighty seven, nigga! Dat test was easy as shit…then again, I _may _have acquired a few answers from the nice girl in front of me-"

She gave him a blank stare. "You cheated."

"See, I ain't even say all dat!" He lifted his chin, shaking his head. "Dat is _messed. Up. _My own friend don't have no faith in me!"

"Riley, boo." Jazmine rolled her eyes again, going over to her desk and sitting down. She groaned. "My backpack's downstairs. Could you go get it for me, please?"

"Wat I look like, maid service?"

"Please?" Jazmine asked, giving him a pleading look. He stared at her before smacking his lips and spinning around.

"Betta be glad I…feel sorry fo you ass!" He said, striding out the door. "Shit. Lookin like a bootleg panda bear…"

She smirked, yawning and closing her eyes.

_She finished writing and set down her pen, getting up to draw the curtains. As she did so, she noticed a tall figure walking down the lit street, a bag of supplies over his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she flung her window open, sticking her head out to get a better view._

_It was him. The man from earlier that day! He was whistling some tune, his voice easily traveling through the complicated melody. She felt herself smile and reached for the outside of the window to close it again, gasping as he glanced over his shoulder, then up at her. She ducked her head, her cheeks flaming._

_"This is three times now," He said calmly, his voice floating into the air. She slowly lifted her head again, pushing her loose brown hair behind her ears. She nodded, her hand still on the frame. It was obvious now that he was some years than her…maybe a good decade! That meant he was almost thirty. The thought of having…whatever feelings she was having for someone so much older made her face grow even redder. She hoped he couldn't see it. He gave her a look, his dark eyebrow rising._

_"Do you have a name?" He asked her. His voice was patient. She could read people like a book; it was what happened when you spent all your time observing people. Being neither seen nor heard. Only now, not only was she seen, she had to _talk _to. Goodness._

_Even worse, he'd asked for her _name_. The few people who she'd dealt with, such as clients of hers, didn't even know her real name. She went by Gloria Nottingham, a far cry from her real name. Somehow though, even though she barely knew this man…she felt drawn to him. The always present logical side of her told her that to tell him her real name would be foolish. Only, she found herself not wanting to lie to him._

_"Anya."_

_He nodded politely. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He tipped the brim of his hat to her before turning away, continuing his walk. "Goodnight, Ma'am."_

_"Goodnight," She managed, her voice not nearly as confident or sure. She quickly shut the window, locking it and slowly sitting back down. She glanced down to her journal before shaking her head, staring out to the moon._

_She couldn't write about this. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but because…how could she describe this new feeling? What was it?_

_She didn't have to ask to know. Whatever it was, it would most likely lead to trouble._

"AYE!"

"Huh?!" Jazmine snapped out of it, quickly wrestling herself from Riley's grasp. He'd been shaking her'

"How you gon fall asleep? Dis ain't sleepytime! Dis ain't no way young Reezy repeating no Algebra time!" He plopped down beside her before making a face. "Ewwww. How you drool on da desk like dat? See, now you gotta waste even mo time disinfectin you germs off hur!"

Jazmine sighed, rolling her eyes. "Just get your textbook out." As he did so she shook her head, trying to get her racing thoughts out of her mind. What she'd read, what she'd seen...it all seemed so insignificant.

However, something told her that there was more to it.

* * *

Yay for backstories!!! ...woop?

Anyways, thank you for reading! Now REVIEWWWWW!!!!!!

-Kelsey


	9. Drawing the Lines

This chapter was fun for me. That's all I'm going to say. I'm too tired to say anything else. Plus, I just realized I'm about to be late for Geology(Whoops?)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Leka10 and sweetiepye2 for the reviews! I swear, sometimes you hit a random block and just go "What's the point?" And then you get that review that keeps you going. Oh, wait, that hasn't happened to you? Dang. I must be a dork. :P

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks is not mine. HURRY UP AND GET HERE MAY 2ND!!!!_

* * *

Drawing the Lines

"Grandad."

Robert Freeman looked up from his armchair in front of the TV to regard his eldest grandson with a look. His eyes narrowed from behind the lenses of his glasses.

"Boy!" He asked sharply, making Riley cackle from the kitchen. "What time is it?"

Huey glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Seven."

"_Exactly_. And what does yo granddaddy _do _at seven?"

"Watch Jeopardy, I know, but-"

"Nope!" Robert held up a hand. "Don't wanna hear it. Only thing I want to hear is some Alex Trebek and this cutie pie from New York. What's her name say? Valerie. Mmhmm. Good ol' Valerie from New York."

"But _Grandad_," Huey asked, gritting his teeth. "I have a family tree project to do for my class and need to know-"

"Oh, really?" Grandad sat up, scratching his chin and turning down the television. "Well. The Freeman family has a long, prosperous history-"

"Boo! Aye! Why you wellin Grandad? You know we ain't did nothing!" Riley interrupted from the kitchen, where he was eating a slice of pizza. Grandad suddenly picked up his bedroom slipper, throwing it through the air and smacking Riley in the forehead with it. He let out a heavy "oof!" as he fell out his chair and hit the floor. Grandad dusted his hands before turning back to Huey, who was shaking his head.

"Anyway," He went on. "How many generations do you need?"

Huey glanced down at the cover of his packet. "Ten minimum."

"Huh." Robert shook his head. "Back in the day we could recite our family members up to _twelve _generations! Sometimes more. Nowadays don't nobody know anything other than they grandparents, and sometimes they don't even know about them!" He reached underneath the end table that was beside the couch, pulling out an old photo album. "Let's see…boy, move yo damn head out the way!" He suddenly yelled, making Huey jump and step aside. "Shoot. Blocking the damn _TV_…I don't pay all this money for digital cable for you to block me from seeing it! I'm lucky these old eyes can still see anything!"

"You been saying dat fo _years_, Grandad!" Riley whined from in the kitchen, waving a hand from the floor. "You like a dinosaur! You ain't gon die!"

"Oh, bet you want me to though, don't you? Don't think I ain't on to yo bad ass!" He opened the album, sighing. "Let's see who we got…I don't know much about your mother's side of the family. Mmm mmm. I know if I go downstairs into the den I could probably find it, but-"

"Lookie here, lookie here." The Freemans' heads whipped towards the front foyer as a familiar, dark as night figure clumped into the room, staring around before snorting and rubbing his hands on his salmon colored shirt.

"The Freemans all gatha'd round all purdy, actin like niggas know how to be a real family." Uncle Ruckus stepped forward, making Huey roll his eyes. Seriously?! "Ya'll know goodness well you don't know nothing about family bonding outside of _The Jeffersons_! Or that horrible nigga sitcom _Goodtimes_. What the hell was so good bout them times?"

"Ruckus," Grandad sighed, slapping his forehead. "How the _hell _did you get into my house? I locked the doors!"

"Well if you don't want no company don't leave yo damn windows open!" Ruckus shook his head, giving Huey a look. "And look at the grandson, trying to fight his obvious fate of amounting to nothing by filling his head with all them books. You know yo brain ain't that big!"

Riley laughed. "Dis nigga _stupid_." Huey shook his head, ignoring him. Or, at least trying to.

"Ruckus, could you carry yo racist ass out my house so I can help my grandson with his little project?"

"Project, huh?" Ruckus walked over, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants and glancing at the packet. "What's this here?"

"He has to do a family tree," Grandad said, reading it. Huey glared at him. How the hell was he _friends _with this guy? "We were just about to go over the old photo album and-"

"Well, this here should be something interestin." Ruckus plopped down on the sofa, glancing to the TV. "Ah! Alex Trebek! Now, that's a good, classy white man right there. Even if he _is _from Canada."

"Um…right." Grandad pointed to one of the pictures. "See here, Huey? This is yo great-grandfather, Anthony Barnibus Freeman. Now, we don't talk bout him much. He was kinda crazy. Shoot, I'm glad he was dead by the time yo father was born. Nigga was-"

"Dang, grandad! How yo gon talk bout yo own family like dat?" Riley shouted from the kitchen.

"Shud-up! _Anyways_." He flipped through a few pages, stopping at another picture. "And this was your great-great grandfather, Matthew Russell Freeman."

Huey squinted at the photo. Even Ruckus looked interested.

"You know," He muttered, glancing up at Huey's face. "He looks a lot like this nigga right here." Huey rolled his eyes. Grandad glanced at the picture, then at Huey's face, then back at the picture.

"Nah. Matthew don't have that damn afro…when you gon get a haircut, boy?"

Huey snatched his packet back, turning on his heel. "Thanks, Grandad. I'll just do it on my own." He shook his head as he walked through the foyer, passing the door just as the doorbell rang. He sighed, pulling the door open.

"Huey!" Maya chirped brightly, holding up a copy of some book. "You will _not _believe what I got. _Bamboo Gods and Iron Men_! My cousin back in Detroit tried to re-nig on it like a little bitch just cause I had probation and couldn't get it but he finally sent it!"

Huey tiled his head to the side, giving her a look. "Why the _hell _were you on _probation_?"

"The white man was trying to hold me down! Don't worry about all that." She waved her hand. "But anyway, we should watch it-"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK BLASPHEMY ON THE WHITE MAN'S NAME?!"

Maya glanced past Huey with wide eyes, slowly straightening and looking at him with a worried expression. "Um…who is that?"

He sighed again, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "That would be Ruckus."

Her nose wrinkled and she took a step back. "On second thought, we could go to the hill and practice Hapkido while there's still daylight? Then maybe he'll be gone and we can watch it?"

"I ain't letting you practice hitting pressure points on me!" Huey nearly shouted, shaking his head. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"_Fine_." She rolled her eyes. "If you want to be a baby about it then we can do freestyle sparring. Which, by the way, isn't fair since you're an eighth degree and all, but I'll let it slide! This time," She mumbled darkly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He gave her a wary look. "Are you sure you should be doing that with your head and all?"

"Bite me." She grinned. "Is little P scared of losing to a _girl _again?"

"That time didn't count!" He insisted, his face coloring slightly. "I had a cold, which affected my balance."

"Whatever." She shook her head. "It's okay." She turned around, walking away and then glancing over her shoulder, smirking. "It's alright that you're too _chicken _to take me on."

He glared at her, dropping his packet onto the table by the door and stepping out, closing the door behind him. She raised her eyebrow at his challenging expression.

"Fine." He cracked his knuckles. "Let's do this."

---

It was Thursday afternoon, and she had a bit of a dilemma: lunchtime seating arrangements.

She hadn't had to worry about it the day before because she'd had a dentist appointment and missed lunch. She couldn't sit with Huey because Cindy was now sitting with Caesar as well as he, Hiro, and Maya, and if she tried to join them it could make things awkward. She supposed she could have sat with Riley if he hadn't gotten in trouble for spitballing his teacher and wasn't in in-school suspension for the day.

Then again, she could simply skip lunch on go hide out at a table in the corner of the lunchroom near the kid who shot liquids out his nose. She sighed, starting to make a U turn and go back inside. Of course when she did she promptly collided with someone, crushing her tray between them and sending food flying everywhere. The other person's tray slammed into her as well, sending a spray of milk in her face. Oh, _damn_.

The entire courtyard got silent as the lunch trays and containers clattered noisily to the concrete. Jazmine wiped her face with her sleeve, resisting the urge to cry. She suddenly noticed how silent everyone was, which was odd since at this point people would typically be laughing. She dropped her arm from her face to see Darius Long staring down at her, his jersey covered in her potato salad, bits of her mashed potato, and pieces of _her _apple pie. Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hands. She was so _screwed_.

"I," She breathed, aware of how her voice seemed to carry throughout the eerily silent courtyard. "Am so sorry."

He blinked at her, his expression completely unreadable. Then, to her surprise (along with probably the entire courtyard) he reached to her, plucking a bit of mashed potato out her hair and smiling.

"No big deal." He shook his shirt, causing a good portion of the mess to fall off.

No. Big. Deal. There was a bit of murmuring that erupted behind her and she felt her face redden. She could only imagine what they were saying. Teenagers had a tendency to blow things out of proportion.

"No big deal?" She gestured to him. "You look like someone threw up on your clothes." She winced, hating how that sounded. "I mean, not that it makes you look bad. I don't think there's anything that can make you look bad."

Oh, god! _What_?! She could have facepalmed herself. To her relief he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well." He pointed to her own clothes. "At least we match."

Her face felt even hotter. Great.

"Seriously," She said, half relieved that he wasn't chewing her out in front of a good half of the junior (and most of the senior) class. "I really am sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"

He seemed to consider her question before snapping his fingers.

"I'm going out Friday night." He shrugged casually. "You could go with me."

It got quiet all over again. It took everything she had not to start squealing like some fangirl. For someone who had so many visions on a day to day basis she sure did have a habit of not seeing these sorts of things come her way.

"Um…" She felt the heat spreading to her ears. She hadn't been on a date before. She didn't know anything _about _dating. But they were standing in front of so many eyewitnesses. He was senior. Not _just _a senior, but a well known, well liked, well sought out senior who happened to be class president as well as the head of practically every sports team. Alright, so maybe she was exaggerating on the last one, but he definitely did a good three different sports for their school. If she said no, she'd be ostracized for sure.

Then again, despite not knowing much about this sort of thing…she didn't _want _to say no. She took a deep breath, trying not to sound _too _eager, and nodded.

"Okay."

He grinned, his dark eyes flashing. "Cool." He wiped some smudge of food off her forehead and walked past her, pretty casually for a man that had food all over his clothes. The sad part was, whereas she looked a hot mess now (alright, she'd looked one _before_) he looked like a damn model. "I'll call you. See you tomorrow night."

She turned around, watching him walk away. She glanced up to see the entire courtyard staring at her, some people's jaws slack, others shaking their heads as if they couldn't believe what had just transpired. Hell, _she _couldn't even believe it! Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cindy staring at her with her mouth hanging open as well and felt a pang in her chest as she remembered that they were fighting. She couldn't even talk to her about it! She spun around on her heel again, heading for the door to go back inside. She heard the talking start up again as soon as the doors closed behind her. She scooted to the wall, holding her hand over her chest and closing her eyes.

She could hear everyone's words now. Gossip spread around that place like wildfire. She knew that everyone would be wondering why the hell Darius Long, a guy who could date any girl (and probably, if he chose so, a generous portion of the boys) at EWSH, would pick _her_.

Hell, she didn't care. She had a date. _She _had a _date_. And it was with someone _normal_! She couldn't help but let out a giggle and did a happy skip jump, punching her fist in the air.

"Yeah!"

She landed on her feet and turned around to see a few students staring at her, giving her odd looks. She blushed, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck with her nails.

As excited as she was…what was she going to _do_? What would she wear? Was he going to drive? Should she pay her own way? Her head started spinning.

Great. Now she had an entire _new _list of worries on her mind. She shook her head as she rushed to the restroom.

It didn't matter _who _she was about to go out with. No one wanted to be associated with a walking mashed potato.

---

"You're quite cheerful. Considering that you're covered in food."

Jazmine gave Huey a look as he drove them home later that day, sticking out her tongue. "You sure do know how to bring a mood down."

"It's a natural talent of mine. Besides, I couldn't help but point out how graceful you are." She shot him a glare which he halfheartedly returned as they pulled to a stop light. "So, since you agreed to go out with him Friday, I'm assuming you're sneaking out?"

"Nope." She sat up, grinning. "My parents are going out of town tomorrow morning. Not only can I go on my date, but I can go to Baltimore Saturday. That is," She added. "If your offer's still good."

"Yeah." He nodded, facing the front again when the light turned green. "It is."

"Great." She rested her elbow on the open window, her cheek pressed against her hand. "I can't believe I have a date with Darius Long," She mused, sighing. She heard a snort from her left and gave Huey a dirty look.

"Don't laugh at me." She looked back outside, enjoying the way the wind blew against her face. "This doesn't happen too often. In fact, this doesn't happen at _all_."

"I wasn't laughing at you." He shrugged. "It's just funny how someone can dump their lunch on a person and get a date in return."

Jazmine nodded, yawning and closing her eyes. "Too bad I don't know anything about this kind of stuff," She said.

"What is there to know?" He rolled his eyes, turning into her driveway and parking. "You wear something where you don't resemble a person wrecked from poverty. You do an activity while learning about each other's interests. If all goes well, you get another one." He cut off the car. "It's pretty much common sense."

She opened her eyes, her eyebrow rising. "Excuse me. I didn't know you were such an expert on dating."

He leaned back in his seat, rolling his eyes. "I didn't say I was. But there's not much else to it. Besides, it's _Darius Long_. He probably can't even spell it. He shouldn't be too hard to get along with."

"Excuse you." She sat up, giving him a look. "Do you not like him or something?"

"I don't _not _like him, if that's what you mean." He shrugged. "I don't have anything against the guy's character. I'm merely stating that if he opened a book as much as he lifted weights he might be able to _learn _something."

"Oh, come on." Jazmine shook her head. "Don't you two have the same _Physics_ class? Even I haven't taken Physics yet."

"Yes. We have the same Physics class." Huey rolled his eyes. "And? He's only passing because he gets his answers from the girl beside me, who tried to get her answers off _me _before I threatened to break her fingers off."

Jazmine blinked. "You…should think about doing something about those anger issues."

"Whatever."

"Speaking of dating." She sat up, grinning at him. "So, when are you going to ask Maya out on a date?"

"Excuse me?"

"Maya. You like her!" Jazmine shrugged. "So, you should date her."

"Didn't we already _talk _about this?"

"Maybe." She laughed at his facial expression. "But if _I'm _about to go on a date then I believe you should be able to do the same. Especially when you're perfectly normal and there's nothing wrong with you."

"There's nothing wrong with you, either." He shook his head. Jazmine stared at him, surprised. "What?"

"Really?"

"Really _what_?"

"There's nothing wrong with me?"

"No." He frowned at her. "And if you think otherwise, then you're an idiot."

She faced forward, glancing out the windshield. After a few seconds she peeked at him again, beaming.

"But seriously. You should go on a date with her."

He rolled his eyes again. "Goodbye, Jazmine."

"Aw, come on." She gave him a pout. "Is ickle Hueykins mad?"

"Get out my car."

"Nope." She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin in the air, closing her eyes. "I'm staying right here."

"Um, no. You're not." Although his words were serious she could hear the amused undertones in them. "Get out."

"Make me."

"Because _that _would be hard to do." Jazmine heard his door open in response and cracked an eye open in time to see him walking around the front of the car. Her other eye opened as well and she sat up, quickly pushing the lock down on the door. She wiggled her fingers at him, laughing. He snorted.

"One: I don't have time for your immaturity. And two-" He reached through the open window, unlocking the door and pulling it open. "I suggest you roll the window up when trying to keep someone out a vehicle." He folded his arms over his chest. "Now, see you later."

She shook her head. He shook his head as well, letting out a sigh before grabbing her and lifting her effortlessly out of the seat, throwing her over his shoulder and grabbing her backpack with his free hand. She squealed, smacking his back with her fists.

"Put me down!" She yelled, half serious and half laughing as he kicked the door shut, walking up the driveway and stepping onto the porch. "Huey Freeman, I swear if you don't put me down right this instant I'm going to-"

"Do what?" He asked, practically laughing. "Nothing?"

Jazmine smacked her lips just as the front door opened. Huey blinked, staring at Tom, who was giving him an odd look.

"Um…hey, Huey." He tilted his head to the side, no doubt trying to figure out if it was indeed his daughter's butt in the air. "Jazmine?"

There was silence. "Oh." She sounded horrified. "Hey, daddy."

"Hi." He made a face. "Um, when you're done with that…you want to finish cleaning out the garage?"

Jazmine's groan was muffled courteous to Huey's back. "Sure."

"Okay." Tom gave Huey one last look before closing the door again. He set Jazmine down, shoving his hands in his pockets. She scooped her bookbag off the ground, holding it with both hands.

"Um…I guess I'll go in now?" She took a step towards the door. "Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah. No problem." He turned around, heading back to the car. Jazmine pushed the door open, glancing over her shoulder one last time and watching him cut the car on. She forced herself to avert her eyes and shook her head, going inside and shutting the door behind her.

---

_August 23, 1920_

_'I saw him again today._

_It was an accident, to my relief. It was particularly nice out and I did not have any special orders due, so I went on a walk through the town. I had on my yellow summer dress and matching hat to bring out the red highlights of my hair. I am not one who focuses on being fashionable, which is somewhat funny since I am a seamstress. Regardless, when I decided to go through the park and noticed him sitting on a bench, I felt grateful that I looked decent. Instead of simply walking past I went right up to the bench and sat down beside him. He looked surprised. I did not blame him. I was surprised by my own actions. I am not one to initiate one on one interaction._

_"I remember you." When he said those three words, it made me feel happy. How glad I was to know that I had not been forgotten. "You are Mrs…" He let his words trail off so that I could finish._

_"_Ms. _James," I had corrected._

_"Ah." He nodded, staring at me. I could feel my face getting warm. It was a bit odd. "Excuse me. It is just you look very…familiar."_

_I folded my hands in my lap, making sure I was sitting up straight. "I do not know how. I have only been in the city less than a year."_

_He had shaken his head, amused. "I can tell you are not of here." I must have had a terrible expression on my face since his own expression turned apologetic. "I did not mean that to be taken offensively. I just meant that most, excuse my being frank, white people do not take the time to talk to us Negroes."_

_I could not help but smile at that one. "Between you and me," I said, glancing around. "I am only half white. The rest of me is as African as you."_

_His eyes had widened. I nodded, feeling proud of my African heritage for one of the first times in my life. For once, it was not bringing me trouble._

_"Interesting."_

_Was it? Was something about me really that interesting to him? I stared down at his hands. They were big and no doubt strong. I felt myself turning red all over again. Embarrassing._

_"Where are you from?" He asked next._

_"I am from here," I explained. "Originally. My mother and I moved into the Bayou when I was just an infant. She was from Ireland. My father had moved here from Mississippi." I was talking too much. I remembered I was shy and lost and closed my mouth. He nodded._

_"So, you are a passé blanc."_

_I nodded. To my surprise, he snorted. I felt myself frown._

_"How is that funny?" I'd asked him. He shook his head._

_"It is not." He'd looked at me, not in a mean way. It was more of a disappointed look. "It is just sad that you are ashamed of your African heritage."_

_I had frozen at that one. After a few seconds of us staring at each other I had swallowed, my fingers clenching in my lap._

_"I am not ashamed of anything." I kept my voice even, since it is impolite for a woman to raise her voice. "I do it-"_

_"I know why you do it. I do not need an explanation." He had given me a look. "The rest of us colored people make do with what we have. By you denying what you really are, you are denying the rest of your race."_

_"Excuse me." I'd squared my shoulders, my own eyes narrowing. I did not care how attractive or nice he may be, I was not going to let him sit there and say those things about me. "You do not know me. How dare you sit there and assume such things about me when this is the first conversation we have had?"_

_"It does not take much for me to figure out a person, Ms. James." He'd given me a cold look. "People are much of the same."_

_I'd risen to my feet at that point, giving him a curt nod. "Then I will just go be like the rest of those people. Good day." With that remark, I'd stomped off._

_So, I suppose that will be the last I see of the man. It is probably the best, being that he is but a mortal. _

_Even though I know it is for the best, I can't help but feel so, so sad. What a lonely life I lead.'_

---

He watched her.

He couldn't help it, really. She was the main reason he was here. Her, and the rest of her damn family. How fortunate it had been for him to be released now of all times. How lucky he was to be so close to the reincarnation of the woman who had caused all this.

They had different hair, hers being much thicker, curlier, and lighter. Her nose was a bit more delicate. Her eyes were much greener. She was even a little taller.

It wasn't just her looks to his enemy that made him so sure she was it. It was the very air around her that held the same amount of electricity as it had when _she'd _been alive. Anyone with any sort of power would be able to feel it. Another big giveaway had been that she'd been the one entrusted to protect his prison.

The biggest one, however, was that she was falling for him.

She probably didn't even know it, and the boy most likely didn't sense it. The chances of her _not_ falling in love with him were actually slim. It was practically inevitable.

He stared at her as she passed by her window, bobbing her head and singing along with the music that poured from the open window. He stepped back into the shadows as a car pulled up into her driveway, the bright headlights falling onto the garage before the car cut off and the owner got out, slamming his door and heading for the front door to the house. When he rang the doorbell, the singing stopped and the music was cut off. The boy shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing around for a few seconds before the front door opened and she came out, smiling at him and saying something. The boy smiled, said something himself, whatever the words being causing her to blush.

Stupid girl.

He looked on as they went to the car, the boy opening her door and shutting it after she got in before crossing around to the other side, climbing in himself and starting the car. As they pulled out of the driveway he turned to the house across the street, grinning wickedly.

_Finally._ Now that she would be nowhere near to sense him, he could finally get what he'd been there for…

At least, he thought that until he saw another girl jogging up the driveway to the house, ringing the doorbell and leaning against the frame, catching her breath. The door opened and the boy stepped out, shaking what looked to be a set of keys and rolling his eyes. She said something, making him smirk, and he shook his head as he closed the door and they both started for his own car.

Damn it! He felt anger fill his insides. He didn't feel like waiting much longer; he was tempted to simply interfere now. This stranger that was with the boy meant _nothing_ to him. He could easily dispose of her.

'Patience,' He told himself. 'Soon, they will both be yours.'

He laughed as he faded off.

---

"Slum Village or A Tribe Called Quest?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? A Tribe Called Quest."

"_Boo_. Slum Village. Definitely."

"What? How could you even…that's not even a valid comparison."

"Is so!"

"You only favor Slum Village because they originated in Detroit!"

"No! I favor them because they're made of awesome! Well, they were until the majority of them died off."

"Maya…"

"What?"

"What am I going to do with you?"

"You could buy me a fish taco. I love those things."

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, giving her a look. She gave him one back, shrugging.

"What?"

"You have a seafood allergy!"

"But it's so _tasty._"

"Last time you ingested fish you were in the hospital on steroids!"

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Whatever, Huey. Just bring a girl down, why don't you."

He rolled his eyes. "They must have taken your common sense when they removed that aneurysm."

"Ouch." Maya held a hand up to her heart. "Don't get all snippy with me just because you don't know good music."

"A Tribe Called Quest is completely good music!" He argued.

"Sure, it is." She lifted her hands in an 'oh, well' gesture. "Slum Village is just better." She smirked at his face. "You gonna go cry about it?"

He started to say something then stopped, shaking his head. "You are brutal," He mumbled as they walked down the street. She made a face.

"Maybe you're just soft."

He sucked his teeth. "Whatever. At least I'm not belligerent and always willing to be an adversary."

"Bull_shit_. You are just as much of a contender with cantankerous tendencies as I am. Don't try to play me."

"That was definitely a circular argument."

"Was not. It was pragmatic. _You _are a circular argument."

They glared at each other for a long moment before Maya lost her composure and burst out laughing. Even Huey cracked a smile. She elbowed him as they kept walking.

"I'm still trying to decide," Huey said aloud while they looked around at the various shops and buildings that surrounded them. "If that was worth the twenty dollars."

"Well." Maya's face took on a thoughtful look. "Given that it started on time, which is always a plus, but the audio system failed for a good twenty seconds which exposed one of the rappers to be lip syncing, which is always awful…then it about comes out equal." She shook her head. "How someone can't _rap _live I do not understand. It's not like you're even singing! You're speaking in a lyrical flow!"

"Speaking of lyrical flow…" Maya snapped her fingers. "Oh, my god. Are we near Columbia?"

"I think so. It's a street over maybe. Why?"

"Yay!" Maya jumped in front of him, holding up both her hands. "Alright, I know that you hate dancing and parties and clubs and all things of that sort, but we _have _to go to one more place."

Huey rolled his eyes. "Come on, Maya. I'm hungry."

"This place has food!" She clasped her hands together. "Look, Hiro's doing a set tonight. I told him I'd try to come if we got out early enough. He's not even supposed to go on until around eleven thirty and it's-"

"Eleven thirty one." Huey glanced at the screen of his cell phone. "Don't you have to be eighteen to get in there?"

"They don't _ever _check after eleven. Ever." She put a hand on her hip when he gave her an unconvinced look. "Seriously! This guy Rodriguez who was in the same holding cell as me back in July-"

"What the hell did you do _then_?" He asked, throwing up his hands. "Maya!"

"Don't _worry _about it! Stop nagging, dang! That's why I don't tell you these things." She folded her arms over her chest, giving him a proud look. "You can go get food if you want and I'll catch up but I'd _hate _to have to walk the streets of Annapolis _alone_-"

"You're the one who _ran _to my house in the dark before I could come pick you up!"

"You were taking too long!"

"It wasn't even six thirty yet!" When Maya did nothing but tap her foot and give him a pleading look in response he sighed, rolling his eyes. "_Fine_. I'll go."

"Yay!" Maya took hold of his hand, dragging him after her as she ran down the sidewalk and completely missing the flush that spread along his face. "I'm sorry but I have to go. Hiro's my best friend! Plus he knows how to work the turntables."

Huey had to avoid groaning aloud when they stopped a street over in front of a building with wild, flashing lights and a thumping bass. As predicted, there was no bouncer outside. Maya squealed excitedly, tugging him inside. It was a bit funny since she didn't squeal too often. It was also annoying since he was about to suffer for a good half an hour.

Alright, not true. The concert had been surprisingly fun, at least since he would've been home working on his family tree project if Maya wouldn't have talked him into it. She was funny, intentionally as well as unintentionally, especially when she had started to sing along. She was notoriously tone deaf.

All in all, there were worse ways to spend a night. There were also worse people he could be with.

The inside was packed, people dancing all over the place. The lights were so colorful and blinding he had to blink multiple times before he could adjust.

"Those lights could induce seizures in someone!"

"Stop being a party pooper!" Maya shouted back, taking a hold of his arm. "Come on! Hiro's already spinning."

Sure enough, Hiro was onstage, surrounded by equipment and deejaying. His head was bobbing in time with the music, the records scratching and the crowd jumping. He was _good_.

"Aye, Hiro!" Maya yelled, jumping up and down in the air to get his attention. "Hiro- _move_!" She snapped to some girl who bumped into her. The girl gave her a dirty look and stomped off. "Bitch…Hiro!"

He happened to look up and saw her. He grinned, flashing her a thumbs up with one hand before returning his full attention to his music, changing it up.

"I gotchu, Maya Grace!" He yelled as the song kicked up.

_"What is the look of  
It got somethin to do with umm,  
Bein a man and handling your biz  
What love got to do with it?  
Ask SV it's all bullshit  
You know what love is  
Say it with me one time, you know what love is  
Be on some love shit-You know what love is  
SV on some love shit-you know what love is-"_

"_Yes_!" Maya pumped her fist in triumph as Huey groaned. "Hiro is the _best_!" She turned to Huey. "We should dance."

"Maya, _no_."

"Aw, come on!"

"No!"

"_Please_?"

"I don't dance."

"You haven't ever tried!"

"I did! That…one time."

"Huey."

"No."

"_Huey_."

"No!"

"Ugh!" Maya gave him a look. "Well, I'm just going to dance in a circle around you and you're going to stand there and look stupid." True to her word she began dancing, totally unconcerned about the fact that she was dancing by herself. That was one of the things about her that impressed him; she did what she wanted and honestly didn't care what others thought. It was something people said they did but rarely acted on. He watched, slightly amused, as she moved around him, snapping her fingers and making a goofy face when she passed in front of him again. He snorted.

"Nice."

"I know."

He shook his head, glancing around the dance floor. There were dancing pairs everywhere; couples, friends, strangers. __

"The motorbot, hasn't been slept on for a long time  
It's time for me to put my mack down  
But in the meantime-"

The song began transitioning again, slowing down slightly, the key changing. Hiro leaned forward, speaking into his microphone.

"This one's for the ladiesssss," He said in a smooth voice, causing most of the females to cheer.

_"Put your arms around me boy  
I got something to show you tonight  
And you know I need your undivided attention baby  
Ain't no other girl that can rock your world like I-"_

"Okay. This is a _slow _song." Maya shook her head at him. "There is _no _excuse for us not to be dancing right now."

Huey started to protest but she put her hands on his shoulders, swaying to the beat. He sighed.

"I don't _dance_."

"Don't think of it as dancing." Maya rolled her eyes. "Think of it as…swaying in a timely fashion."

"Whatever." He put his hands on her waist, rolling his eyes and swaying as well. "As soon as Hiro's done, we're gone."

"Fine by me." She smirked.

_"So rewind, make this moment last forever babe  
It feels like your body is calling me-"_

He was barely aware of her sliding closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Not that it bothered him. It was just…different.

_"But I don't want to come on too strong  
But something happens when we slow dance  
I try to be ladylike, I got you here tonight  
But something happens when we slow dance"_

He glanced around, taking in all the other couples who were staring in each other's eyes or simply swaying with their eyes closed. One goofy pair was doing some awkward waltz, but they seemed happy. He wasn't one that was into the romantic stuff. It just wasn't him. But this didn't count, did it? After all, they were friends. At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

_"Talking with my fingertips, yeah, yeah  
I got so much to say babe  
Words just get in the way baby  
Let's see can you read my hips"_

His eyes happened to fall on a particular couple near the center of the floor, where the spotlight happened to fall on. His eyes narrowed. They looked oddly familiar…

_"So one more time rewind, make this moment last forever babe  
It feels like your body's calling me-"_

The guy was a tall African American with short hair. He had his arms around a girl who was much shorter with curly, strawberry blonde hair in a side bun with a flower tucked in it. Her hands were on his shoulders and they were swaying together, their eyes locked on each others. He _knew _that girl! It was…Jazmine?

It couldn't be her! Well alright, there was no other explanation…it was just he was so used to seeing her dressed down or tucking herself into a corner to not be noticed. This Jazmine, she was the center of attention. She had on a dark green skirt and a lacy, short sleeved black top. She had on makeup. She was confident. She looked…she looked beautiful.

What could he say? Confidence was a big thing for him

_'I don't want to come on too strong  
But something happens when we slow dance  
I try to be ladylike, I got you here tonight  
But something happens when we slow dance._

_'Got you in my element  
Time to represent who you're with  
The whole world's staring at the both of us  
And I'm giving you all my love-'_

This was weird. It seemed like the more he tried to look away from her the harder it became. What did that mean? He couldn't even look at that damn Darius without feeling this irrational urge to punch him in the face.

What did _that _mean?

_'Got you in my element  
Time to represent who you're with  
The whole world's staring at the both of us  
And I'm giving you all my love-'_

He tried to focus on the girl he was dancing with. Maya, one of his closest friends. The girl who he constantly had sparring matches with on his favorite hill. The one who shared so many of his interests, from old martial art films to music to books and literature. The freethinking, aggressive, brutally honest girl who constantly impressed him with how much alike they were.

_'This one's for the dance floor, strictly for the dance floor  
This one's for the dance floor, strictly for the dance floor  
This one's for the dance floor, strictly for the dance floor  
This one's for the dance floor, strictly for the dance floor-'_

And then, there was Jazmine, who was so much different. Sensitive, inhibited, insecure Jazmine who he'd come to know so much about in the past few weeks, the girl who used to chase him around with her innocent eyes and unintentional ignorance which used to annoy him to no end. Only it turned out that he'd been ignorant of what she truly was.

He wasn't jealous of Darius. No…it just seemed a bit unfair that he was the one who knew her secret, how _he _was the one who had to practically _earn _her trust, and he just came out of nowhere, gave her a smile, and suddenly he was the one dancing with her. It just didn't feel right.

But he wasn't jealous. Nope. Definitely _not_. He wasn't the jealous type.

At least, he didn't think so.

_'I don't want to come on too strong  
But something happens when we slow dance  
Gotta be ladylike but I got you here tonight  
But something happens when we slow dance.'_

The music kept on and a thought suddenly entered into his mind:

If he was comparing Maya, a girl he was almost certain he liked, to _Jazmine_, then what the hell did _that _mean? He couldn't like _her_, could he?

No way! They'd _just _started talking again! Besides, you couldn't just abruptly stop liking someone and then develop feelings for someone _else_! You just…didn't do that! He'd been friends with Maya for years. He and Jazmine were on a strict friend basis. Besides…this was _Jazmine _he was talking about.

But when Darius leaned down, whispering something in her ear which caused her to smile and nod, he felt that weird, prickling sensation of illogical anger fizzing up on his insides. When he took her hand, leading her off the dance floor, it only got worse. And when they disappeared into the crowd, he really just wanted to chase them down, tackle the guy, and cave his face in.

He wasn't jealous. He _wasn't _jealous.

"Hey, Huey!" Maya snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, causing him to blink. "The song's over." She laughed. "You look so confused."

"Oh." He shook his head. "It's all these damn lights."

She shook her head, dropping her hands off his shoulders and stepping back. "Ready to go? Hiro's set's almost done and I'm hungry, for real."

Funny. He'd been the one starving before. Now he didn't even feel like eating anything.

"Yeah." He nodded, following her off the floor and gently pushing through the crowd. "Okay."

She gave him a look. "Are you okay?"

He nodded again. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Not. He wasn't fine. It didn't take rocket science to figure out why, either.

This…was not good.

* * *

Song One: "The Look of Love" by Slum Village (J-88)

Song Two: "Slow Dance" by Keri Hilson

Er...yeah, thanks for reading! Now BEGONEEEEEEEEEE!

-Kelsey


	10. The Blame Game

Woo! Update! Yeah, this chapter made me angry. I'm STILL not sure if I got it the way I wanted it. Only, it's not one of those "I'll-just-boot-that-shit-out-and-keep-it-moving chapters, I actually needed it. Argh. But yeah, thanks to Leka10, MizzC, TRIGGER MIKE THE GREAT, MzMinni3, and insert psuedonym for the reviews!

Ooh, someone said I should do a story where Maya likes Riley, and it's not a bad idea. At all. I have no idea how I'd do it, I'm pretty sure they'd kill each other...but the wheels in my brain are a turnin'. So who knows? Maybe we'll wind up seeing one of those soon? (or not TOO soon, oh my goodness I don't want to get people excited and then get beat up when it doesn't happen). Um, yeah, I'm always open to ideas, so if you have one, let me know! Yah! (?!)

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks is still not mine._

* * *

The Blame Game

If it weren't for the doorbell, she probably would have slept until noon.

Jazmine groaned, pressing her pillow over her head. She glanced through the tiny crack between the edge of it and her bed to peek at her clock. '7:14 am' it read. She groaned again, smashing the pillow even harder down. When it rang two more times she let out a much louder, angrier one, tossing the pillow aside and climbing off the bed. Her right foot got caught in the covers and she tumbled down to the floor, smacking her face against the wood.

"Ow!" She pushed herself up to her elbows as the doorbell rang again. "I'm coming! Hold your…horses!" She yanked her foot free, angrily stomping down the stairs and charging for the door. If it was another freaking Jehovah's Witness or a stupid salesperson, she was going to pitch a fit. Hell, it could be Mother Teresa and she'd probably fuss her out! She reached the door, unlocking it and yanking it open.

"I DON'T WANT WHATEVER YOU'RE SELLING!" She yelled, clenching her fists. She blinked, looking at Huey, who was staring at her with raised eyebrows. Her shoulders slumped and she pointed at him.

"What…are you _doing _here?"

"Well, hello to you, too," He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and leaning against the doorframe. "I'm glad to see you're so bright and cheery in the mornings."

"It's…it's seven in the morning!" She shouted. "Who in the world wakes up at seven in the morning on a Saturday?!"

"The shouting thing is really unnecessary," He replied, unaffected. "And I've actually been up since five."

"Yes." Jazmine nodded. "Because you're _Huey_. I'm _Jazmine_. I sleep all day and stay up all night. It's the way it is."

"Then it's a good thing I came over," He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Aren't you the one who wanted to go to Baltimore today?"

"Um, yeah!" She threw up her hands. "But the guy doesn't even get killed until around dusk! Dusk is a good _twelve hours from now_!"

"You're shouting again."

She glared at him. "That tends to happen when I'm awakened for no reason."

"Okay, fine." He folded his arms over his chest. "So, you were planning on going to Baltimore say, around four or five."

"_Yes_!"

"You do realize," He said in a matter-of-fact voice. "That sunset comes at around seven ten pm, and that you have _no idea _where in Baltimore the guy is murdered."

"Er…" Jazmine scratched her head. Damn. He did have a point. "…A…alleyway?"

"Oh, yes. Very helpful." He rolled his eyes. "So, if we were to leave for Baltimore, which would be a good hour, maybe longer, due to traffic, we'd get there around five thirty. Factor in finding somewhere to park, navigating the city, locating your "alleyway"-" He made quotes with his fingers. "And the approximate time of sunset's arrival, it would give you only around an hour and a half to find him. If you were lucky."

She blinked. Why hadn't she thought of that? "Well-"

"Not to mention," He added. "Even if you were to realize the location, we'd have to _get _there. And I am _not _MapQuest. It would take us a decent amount of time to-"

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Jazmine held up her hand. "Fine, you're right. You're _right_. Will you please stop making my head hurt now?"

He looked smug. "Sure."

She rolled her own eyes, shaking her head and opening the door wider so that he could come in. He walked past her, glancing around. She closed the door, rubbing her eyes.

"It," She yawned, walking into the kitchen and stopping in front of the coffee pot. "Is early."

"For you." He sat down at the table, glancing at her. "So? Did you have a good time last night?"

Jazmine got happy _real_ quick. She spun around, resting her hands on either side of her on the counter and hopping up, sitting on it.

"It," She said, grinning. "Was _the best_."

He nodded. "Good-"

"Okay." She shook her hands. "First, he picked me up, right? And since he's eighteen he has a real license and not just a provisional so we didn't have to worry about getting pulled over for being out so late-"

"How late were you out?!"

"Oh, I don't know. One? Two? Anyways," She went on, beaming. "So, he was _on time_, which was impressive. And then, we went out to dinner at this place in Annapolis, I forgot the name, but I mentioned how I liked Thai food so he took me to a Thai restaurant! And he paid!"

"Of course he paid." He looked at her like she was nuts. "It was a _date_. If the guy doesn't pay then he's doing it wrong." He paused. "Wait a minute. I asked _how _it went. I didn't ask for a damn play-by-play."

"Well, Cindy and I aren't talking!" Jazmine whined, swinging her feet back and forth. "So I need to tell _someone_."

"Can't you tell your old doll, Mrs. Wellington?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm going to need for you and Cindy to make up for whatever it is now if this is what it's going to be like."

Jazmine stuck out her tongue. "So _then_," She went on, ignoring his loud groan. "We went to this club called Columbia, cause Hiro was doing a set along with some other people Darius knew, and then we went midnight bowling, which was super cool because they turn off the lights and have all these fluorescent ones and there were a lot of people there and a big group of us wound up going, and then we went walking for a bit, and then we can back here-"

"-I really hope this doesn't end with anything having to do with him coming inside. I just might throw up."

"No! Who do you think I am?" Jazmine made a face. "But yeah, he dropped me off, and that was that."

"Oh." Huey shrugged. "Okay. Well, are you going out with him again?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't, but you wouldn't shut up about it, so I might as well entertain you."

She crossed her arms over her chest, then frowned. "Well…no. We're not."

He sat up at that one. "What?"

"Well." She rested her palms on the counter again, staring at the floor. "We ended up seeing some of his soccer team buddies at the bowling alley, and I had a vision that they all take steroids. So, I asked him about it, since it's not really fair to people like Caesar who work really hard, you know? I told him that, and needless to say, it didn't end very well."

Huey shrugged, snorting. "It's no big deal."

She gave him a look. "Well, not to you it isn't." She hopped off the counter, wiping her hands on her Hello Kitty pajama bottoms. "I mean, I'll get over it, I guess. I don't think I want to be with someone who feels so comfortable about being on top because he cheated, anyways."

"That's very honorable of you."

"Whatever. Too bad I didn't get to kiss him first." Huey made a gagging sound and she stuck out her tongue. "So, how was the concert?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"So." She leaned forward, smirking. "You and Maya-"

"-Are what we were before. Friends." He shook his head when her face fell. "You worry about your own love life and let me worry about mine."

"Yeah. My _nonexistent _one." She shrugged, jabbing her thumb towards the stove. "Are you hungry?"

He shook his head. "I ate."

"Oh, okay." She walked towards the doorway. "Well, I'm going to get dressed. So just, help yourself to whatever, I guess."

He nodded. She walked out, rubbing her neck as she went up the stairs. She went in her room, peeling off her shirt and stepping out her pajama bottoms, grabbing her towel off the back of the door. She glanced behind her, and then she shrieked.

"What the hell?!" She asked, her eyes widening at the ghost who was perched on the end of her bed, casual as if she actually belonged there. The woman looked amused.

"Sorry, hun."

Jazmine heard feet pounding on the stairs before her door flew open.

"Are you okay-oh, shit!" Huey covered his eyes with his hand and Jazmine screamed, holding the towel over her. "My bad! I thought-"

"Get out!" Jazmine yelled.

"What the hell do you _think _I'm doing?!" He shouted, quickly slamming the door shut behind him. Jazmine whipped back towards the ghost, glaring.

"Can I get a warning?" She snapped, pointing at her. "A grace period? A damn personalized _ringtone_?"

"I wasn't trying to walk in on you!" Huey hollered from outside the door. "Damn! I have better things to do than see you naked!"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Jazmine shot back. "I was talking to-" She stopped. "Who _are _you?"

"Elsie." The woman tucked her short, black hair behind her ear. "Elsie Yarbrough."

"I was talking to Elsie Yarbrough!" She shouted."But really, Huey? You could have knocked!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He snapped, his voice filled with sarcasm. "Next time I hear you _screaming _like you're being robbed, or held at gunpoint, or raped, or _killed_, I'll just knock first!"

"You're not funny!"

"Who the hell's _joking_?"

"You two," Elsie said, pointing towards the door and shaking her head, smirking. "Are worse than an old married couple."

"What?!" Jazmine and Huey choked in unison. She laughed, tilting her head back. Jazmine shook her head, throwing down the towel and grabbing her robe, tying it as tightly as humanly possible around her before walking back to the door, opening it. Huey was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed and his face red.

"That," He said, walking past her into the room. "Is the _last _time I try to protect you." He groaned. "Could you at least get your _underwear _out the floor?!"

"Whoops!" She quickly bent down, scooping them up and stuffing them in her pocket, her own face red. "Sorry."

Since at this point they were both too embarrassed to look at each other, they both focused on Elsie.

"So." Elsie herself leaned forward, surveying them both with dark brown eyes. "You're both mediums."

"I am." Jazmine pulled her robe closer around her.

"I'm…a temp." Huey shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, pointedly looking at the ceiling. Elsie rolled her eyes, crossing her legs.

"'m not even going to ask."

"Good." Jazmine gestured towards her. "So, may I ask why you're here?"

"Why does it _look _like I'm here?" Elsie couldn't have been much older than them. She pointed to herself. "I'm _dead_. Some bastard just…ugh." She rolled her eyes. "What_ever_."

"Right. How helpful." Huey stood with his arms folded while Jazmine plopped down beside the ghost. "So, how did he do it? Kill you, I mean?"

"Fuck if I know!" She threw up her hands. "All I know is, I'm in the shower, I see the shadow moving outside the curtain, so I open it. Then, there's this _person _standing there, but not really, because I can see right through him. So, I'm thinking I must be losing it, and then he just lifts his hand, and I can't breathe anymore. Next thing I know, I'm walking around hearing everyone saying I'm dead. Which is just plain shitty, by the way. I was about to have a date. _Finally _I was gonna get some. But nooo-"

"Okay, that's more than enough information!" Huey interrupted, holding up a hand. Jazmine tipped her head to the side, studying the girl.

"If you and Henry both died under unknown causes then how can law enforcement possibly know that there's a serial killer causing this?" She wondered aloud. Elsie snapped her fingers.

"Here's the kicker." She glanced between them. "I was definitely being nosy, making sure no one was doing anything funny with my body, and it turns out that me and the last guy they found had no blood in us. At all."

Jazmine's eyebrow shot up. "Huh?"

"Our bodies," Elsie said in a slow voice. "Were completely…drained…of _blood_."

"How is that possible?" She asked, staring down at the floor. Huey had a thoughtful expression on his face. "If there's no kind of markings on you, no sort of wounds, then how could your blood be gone?"

"You're forgetting who the probable culprit is," Huey pointed out. "A _ghost_. Supernatural situations don't always make sense, I'm starting to notice."

"I understand that." Jazmine turned towards him. "But ghosts can't do that sort of thing unless they've either been around a long time or are a guardian."

His eyebrows rose. "A _what_?"

"A guardian." She shook her head at his confused expression. "It's the equivalent of a medium, only in a guardian's case they can travel through astral planes to escort spirits to the afterlife. It's basically their responsibility to get ghosts to where they need to be. If I felt like it I could tell every ghost that came to me to beat it, and if they found a guardian they'd be obligated to help them. They're extremely hard to come by, though. But even if it _was _a guardian doing all this," She went on, her brows knitting together in confusion. "They'd have to be doing it outside of their own body. And they'd have to be using some kind of spell to get the blood without leaving a mark, because it's impossible to physically touch anything in astral form otherwise. Their plasma's even thinner than a ghost's."

"So witches _do _exist," Huey pointed out. Jazmine lifted her chin.

"I never said they didn't. _I _just don't consider myself one."

"But let's say you wanted to do some kind of spell or something," He asked, shrugging. "Could you?"

She hesitated. "Well…if I tried it, I probably could get the hang of a few of them…"

"_In fact_," He added, smirking. "Have you _ever _done one?"

She frowned. "Maybe once or twice. But it's a long story-"

"So, that means-"

Jazmine sighed, rubbing her head. "Stop talking."

"I'm just saying."

"_Anyways._" Jazmine glanced at Elsie. "Do you remember what the ghost looked like?"

She shook her head. "I've tried. I've tried really hard. I just can't do it."

"It's okay." Jazmine sighed. "This is really odd-"

"So, no offense," Huey asked, saying it the way he usually said things that were no doubt going to be taken offensively. "But we get why you're here. But why are you _here_?"

Elsie smirked at him. "Straight to the point, I see," She laughed. When neither he nor Jazmine cracked a smile she sighed, tucking her hands in her lap.

"I came to tell you this." She cleared her throat. "That…_thing _that killed me? He's not finished."

"We know." Jazmine nodded. "We're going to stop him. Today."

Elsie snorted, giving her a quick glance over. "What are you, a psychic or something?"

"Actually, yes." Jazmine glared at her. "I am a psychic "or something"."

The girl's eyebrows shot up. "Huh." She shrugged. "They talk about you a lot up there, you know. In the good ol' plane." When Jazmine looked confused she gestured towards her. "You're the last one in the James line, right? The seventh generation one?"

She nodded reluctantly. The girl snorted.

"Then, I guess the only other thing I can say is to watch your back." And with that, she was gone. Huey blinked, rubbing his eyes.

"Well." He sounded annoyed. "_That _was pointless."

Jazmine shrugged. "Definitely."

They looked at each other, their faces instantly coloring all over again.

"Um…right." Huey turned on his heel, heading for the door with an awkward expression on his face. "Well, I'll just go…elsewhere. So you can do…you-"

"Okay," Jazmine finished quickly, completely mortified.

"So…I'll be…downstairs?"

"Sure."

Jazmine shook her head as he closed the door behind himself. She asked herself this time and time again but the question never got old; how the hell could she see everything else in her future, but never things like _this_?

Sometimes, she was sure someone in the universe was laughing at her expense.

---

_September 1, 1920_

_I never meant for it to happen, but it did._

_It was early in the morning, and I was going to pick up fabrics from the vendor closest to my home. I do not know why but I was not paying attention. The next thing I knew, I was passing the artisan shed, and he was there. I walked on, attempting to ignore him. I really did. Only he ended up seeing me._

_"Ms. James." He said it so loudly that I could not even pretend to not hear him. I slowly turned around, holding my fabric and trying not to look as angry as I felt. He stepped up to me, causing me to have to lift my head. He was _tall_._

_"You are a seamstress."_

_I nodded. Well, that was an obvious assumption. I supposed he could not think of anything smarter to say. He paused, nodding towards his shop._

_"I have some things that I need mended." He looked back at me. "I was wondering if you could fix them."_

_I started to snort, but he cut me off._

_"I will pay you."_

_I lifted my own chin. "I am not good enough for your respect because I choose to hide my identity, yet I am good enough to aid you in services?" I started past him. "I do not need your money."_

_"I am sorry." I stopped, giving him a wary look. His face was so difficult to read I did not know if I could take his words seriously. "It was inappropriate for me to say."_

_"It does not matter if you are sorry for saying it if you mean the words that came out of your mouth."_

_He paused, his eyebrow shooting up. I gave him my own challenging look, or at least I hoped it looked that way._

_"You are very smart."_

_I snorted. "Flattery will get you nowhere."_

_"It is not flattery if the words spoken are of truthful meaning."_

_I let my shoulders slump. I could not even find the energy to harbor disdain towards him any longer. _

_"How old are you?"_

_The question caught me off guard. "Do you not know it is impolite to ask a woman her number in years?"_

_He smiled. I felt that unfamiliar warm feeling race through me and glanced away._

_"Only if the woman is obviously up in age." He gave me a knowing look. "You cannot be any older than twenty-five."_

_I felt myself smile as well. I could not help it. "Eighteen."_

_He gave me a look. "You are a mature eighteen."_

_"And you?" I asked. Two could play that game. He looked uncomfortable._

_"Older. Much older."_

_Now I was _really _curious. "Must older as in…"_

_He shook his head, smirking. "I have a son who is exactly your age."_

_I felt my face color. "Wow. You _are _old."_

_He laughed. It was a loud, booming sound that carried through the mostly empty street. I smiled. He had a nice laugh as well. Then again, what did he not have?_

_Right. He did not have a liking for passé Blancs._

_"So, you are married then?" I asked before shaking my head. "I am sorry. That was rude. I got ahead of myself-"_

_"It is fine." He shook his head. "And not anymore. She is no longer living."_

_"Oh." I frowned. "I am saddened for your loss."_

_"There are worse things in this world," He said in a serious voice. "Then death."_

_I stared at him. He stared at me as well. I was aware of how the air was already growing hot, even though the sun was barely beginning to rise. I finally looked away, then back up at him._

_"I will mend your things." He nodded. "But I will not charge."_

_He shook his head. "I cannot allow you to-"_

_"I will _not _charge," I repeated firmly. "Consider it payment of my debts."_

_He looked confused. "Your…debts…"_

_"For my crimes committed," I clarified. "Against my race."_

_He gave me a look, as if he did not know to take me seriously. I stared back, keeping my face impassive._

_"It is a deal." He held out his hand. Before I could even think about being ladylike I shook it firmly. He looked amused. "You are _certainly _not of this town, Ms. James."_

_"You are very good about reminding me that, Mr…" I let my words trail off. I did not even know his name. He smiled, removing his hat._

_He paused. The sunlight poured over him, causing his uniquely wine colored eyes to sparkle. I felt my heart constrict in my chest. "People call me Russ."_

_"Russ." When he nodded I smiled. "Well, if I'm going to call you by that, you _cannot _call me Ms. James. You make me sound old."_

_He laughed. "Fine. It is Anya, then?"_

_I nodded as well. "Right. Anya." It sounded so much better when he said it._

_I must put down my pen now. He will be coming at any minute. I don't know if I should be excited or dread it. I supposed I will do both._

---

"Okay." Huey sighed, lowering the map from his face and glancing towards his partner in crime. Well, she _would _be if she wasn't sucking on a slushie like there was no tomorrow and studying the puffy clouds overhead. "Jazmine! Focus!"

"Huh? Sorry!" Jazmine quickly lowered her head, staring at him. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt so every time he looked at her he risked blinding himself if the sun was directly overhead. They were sitting on the grass in the park, ignoring everyone else who walked by and pouring over the map that Huey had acquired, highlighting every side street, alleyway, or other mysterious symbol that showed up. "I couldn't help it! Don't you think that one looks like an elephant?"

When he merely blinked at her in response, his face impassive, she sighed and let her shoulders slump. "Nevermind."

"This would be a lot easier," Huey muttered, staring down at it. "If you'd seen some kind of landmark."

"I have an idea!" Jazmine swallowed, moving the straw away from her mouth and snapping her fingers. He glanced at her. "Maybe if we walk around I'll get more visions, and we can go from there."

"That would be a great idea…if we were sure _that's _what you'd see." He eyed her. "I'm pretty sure we'd wind up going on some tangent messing around with them too much. Just like the other day in statistics. You _definitely _had one when the Mr. Thompson handed you your paper back-"

"Yeah." Jazmine made a face. "I'm pretty sure he's not going to be happy Monday if what I saw about him going home early last night to surprise his wife and walking in on her and her _girlfriend_ is true."

"Ouch." Huey made a face, looking back to the map. "Well, if he's a _statistics _teacher, he should have been aware that statistically, a marriage doesn't work."

"Well, sometimes people don't go by logic," Jazmine said with a shrug. She took another sip of her drink. "Sometimes, you have to go by what you feel."

Huey shook his head. "Never. Feelings are illogical."

"Your face is illogical."

"Oh, yes. That's a sensible comeback. Very mature."

They blinked at each other for a few more seconds before staring back down at the map.

"If we look at it this way then we're never going to find the guy," Jazmine finally said, setting down the Styrofoam cup and sitting on her heels. "I've got to try to see something. It's basically the only thing we have to run on."

"You're pretty eager to do something that knocks you unconscious," Huey pointed out. She shook her head.

"That was when I couldn't control them. They'd gotten stronger. I can handle it now."

He looked doubtful. "And you know this because-"

"Because I had about two different visions about you when we were on the way here and didn't even miss a beat," She replied calmly. He blinked, surprised. He actually hadn't noticed, for once.

"Really?" She nodded. "What did you see?"

"Well, for one, I saw you were going to end up backing into another car when we were parking about half an hour ago, which was why I told you to wait. And if you don't want to have to wash your shoe, I recommend you watch out for poop when we get to walking around Commerce and Pratt."

He gave her a dirty look. "Were you not going to tell me unless I asked?"

She stuck out her tongue, which was a dark blue courteous of her slushie, which she picked up and went back to drinking. "Nope."

He shook his head. She smirked, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. He stared at her for a few more seconds before shaking his head and returning his attention to the map.

"I say," He heard her say. "That we split up."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course. There's a killer on the loose and you think we should _split_. That makes a hell of a lot of sense."

"I'm just trying to list ideas. Besides, we could cover more ground that way. I go around, trying to see what I can "see", and you take the map and check out whatever alleyways you pass."

"And what am I supposed to do?" He shot back. "Call you when I get to each one, describe it in vivid detail, and see if it sounds like the one you saw? Because I have no clue how it looks. You do."

She made a face. "Good point."

Huey sighed, checking the front of his phone. "Well, it's one fifty. We've got about five hours to find it."

She nodded, rising to her feet and brushing off her jeans, her cup in one hand. "Then, instead of just sitting here looking at a piece of paper, let's just go walking around. Play it by ear."

"I like to know what I'm getting into." His tone was flat. "I don't play things by ear."

"Well, that's all I know." She shrugged. "Fine. We'll look at the map _and _walk. Happy?"

He sucked his teeth, climbing to his feet as well. "Whatever." The two of them set down the path, Jazmine's hand in her pockets and the map covering Huey's face. "We're going to be lucky if we can pull this off-"

"Hey," Jazmine interrupted. He sighed from behind the paper.

"_Yes_?"

"Why are you doing this?" The paper dropped down so that he was staring at her. "I mean, this isn't your problem. And it's not like you were obligated to help. And I'm sure you had better ways to spend your Saturday."

"Well." Huey shrugged. "Why are _you _doing this? I mean, it's not your problem. And it's not like you were obligated to help. And I'm sure you have better ways to spend _your _Saturday."

"You're mocking me."

"I'm not. I'm merely displaying the fact that your question can go both ways."

Jazmine stared at the ground, frowning. "When you see someone die," She said softly. "You can't just ignore it. When you witness it for yourself, it's no longer just the other person's problem. It becomes your own."

He looked forward again and she raised the cup back to her lips, both of them falling into a thoughtful silence.

---

"So, is it just me, or are our best friends acting…weird?"

"You mean my ex-best friend?" Cindy made a face, sipping at her milkshake. "I don't _have _a best friend."

"Aw, come on, Cin." Caesar rolled his eyes. "Weren't you two best friends since like, you were ten?"

"_Were_." Cindy's face lit up as their food came. "Ooh! Can I have some of yo burger?"

"No!"Caesar held it away, his lower lip quivering. "You ate my entire breakfast burrito! Unforgiveable-hey!" Cindy had reached over casually, plucking his burger from him and taking a bite. "No fair! Ah!"

Cindy laughed, taking a bite and handing it back to him. "But seriously." She chewed, leaning back in her chair. "I don't know what's going on with her. She obviously doesn't trust _me_, so why should I trust _her_?"

"Um, you wanna talk about trust?" Caesar snorted. "When Huey and I were younger I went to the hill to give him his present on his twelfth birthday. This fool not only did some move that I _still _can't name on me, but then he made _me _open the present because he hates surprises and thought I was trying to pull something!"

"I remember that!" Cindy cackled, pointing. "Didn't you cry?"

"No!" Caesar frowned, looking put out. "I got dirt in my eye from when my face smacked the ground!"

"Right."

"The point is," Caesar went on, holding his burger out of Cindy's greedy reach. "That people are different. I'm used to Huey being an anti-social, distrustful, always aware individual. It's just how he is."

"Well, she hasn't always been this way," Cindy pointed out. Caesar shrugged.

"Sometimes, people change. I'm sure it doesn't mean she loves you any less. Didn't you say before it happened after her grandma died?" Cindy nodded. "Well, maybe she just didn't bounce back. It happens."

Cindy bit her lip, sighing and drinking more of her milkshake. Finally she shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Well, whatever." She flipped her hair behind her. "But forreal tho, even your best friend's been…different."

"How?" Caesar smirked. "You mean more social and less bitter?"

"Exactly!" Cindy threw up her hands. "At first they never even acknowledged each other's existence and now…well-" She stopped, snapping her fingers, her eyes shooting open. "Oh, my god. Do you think they _like _each other?"

"What?" Caesar blinked. "I don't know. I was pretty sure he liked Maya-"

"What, the mean girl?" Cindy made a face. "But _why_?"

"I don't know! Like I really know how that boy thinks-"

"Okay, fine. Let's talk about something else," Cindy interjected, rolling her eyes and waving a hand around them. "The sun's shining, we're in Baltimore, this outdoor café has buy-one-get-one-free entrees…I'm so hungry!"

"I can tell! Eatin all my food!" Caesar stuck out his tongue and Cindy threw her napkin at him. It dropped to the ground and Caesar went to pick it up. He happened to glance towards the street as he retrieved it and did a double take.

"Hey, Cin?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't laugh, but…does that look like Huey and Jazmine to you?"

Cindy's head whipped up. She sat up, looking just in time to see a familiar afro and a bright ponytail walk past. Her eyes narrowed.

"Y-yeah." She and Caesar shocked exchanged looks. "What is going _on_? I thought they _hated _each other?"

"Doesn't look that way." Caesar grinned. "Well, that would explain why they've been acting weird lately. I guess your guess wasn't too far off."

Cindy grinned. She always got excited for these types of things. She plopped her elbows on the table. "Do you think they're secretly dating?" She made a face. "Ugh! I can't even ask her because we're mad at each other!"

"Oh, if they're dating, it's definitely a secret." Caesar shook his head. "Because if Maya found out, Jazmine would be dead already."

"Ugh."

"She's not so bad once you get to know her."

"Uh huh." Cindy shook her head as well as they disappeared further up the street. "If you say so." She tipped her head to the side. "I wonder why she didn't tell me."

"Maybe because you stopped _talking _to her?"

"Shut up! I meant before our argument!" Cindy threw her spoon at him. "I feel bad enough as it is."

"Well, it's not hard to make up." Caesar shrugged. "Just tell her sorry."

Cindy sighed. "Maybe." She eyed his burger. Caesar saw her look and quickly grabbed it, but not before Cindy had reached over the table to grab at it. She slipped, falling across the table and smacking him so that he, along with the table, crashed down to the pavement. Everyone around them stared at them, their jaws slack.

Cindy sat up, her eyes wide. "Ceez!" She practically cried to the shaking boy underneath her. She covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm so sorry!"

But then, she saw that he was laughing. And then, she was laughing, too.

---

So it was true. History _did _have a way of repeating itself.

He glared at them as they maneuvered through the crowded street, anxiously searching the crowd. She was trying to stop his advancement. She was trying to get in his way.

Poor, poor little girl. She was just like her predecessor. She thought that with those premonitions of hers she could save the world. Just like said predecessor, she'd have to learn the hard way how wrong she was.

He sighed, shaking his head and vanishing into the air.

---

By the time they'd finally managed to narrow down the possible locations, it was after six, and the sun was approaching the western horizon faster and faster.

It happened so quick that he didn't see it coming. One moment, she was at his side…and the next, she wasn't.

He blinked, searching around the sidewalk. Some parade was supposed to be starting soon, which made sense as to why the street was so congested. Jazmine hadn't gotten lost in the confusion, had she?

Huey shook his head, moving aside so that he could get his phone out. He flipped it open, dialing her number and pressing it to her ear. When she didn't answer he swore, closing it.

Where the hell had she _went_?

As he glanced over his shoulder again he felt two small hands grab his shoulders, tugging him sideways. Caught off guard he practically flew into her, knocking them both to the ground. Jazmine winced, sitting up on her elbows. He bolted up, resting his weight on his hands and staring down at her.

"What are you _doing_?" He asked her, annoyed. They were in an alleyway. She shook her head, and then he noticed that she looked close to tears.

"It keeps changing."

He made his way back to his feet, holding out a hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet, dusting herself off. He grabbed her shoulders so that she looked up at him.

"What do you mean "it keeps changing"?"

She sighed, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "I mean, it keeps _changing_," She repeated, her voice shaky. "I keep getting visions of the murder, only something's always different. The time of day, or the place, or the time of day _and _the place. It's like someone's tampering with it!" She groaned, frustrated. "I got one that showed it had already happened. I got one that it's not happening until midnight. I got one where he was back in Prince George's County! I don't know what's _wrong_-"

"Okay." He gave her a light shake. "Is it possible for that sort of thing to happen?" She blinked at him. "You know, for someone or some_thing_ to mess around with what you see?"

"It's called interference." Jazmine shook her head. "But for that to happen, the person who's doing it would have to be who the vision centered around, they'd have to have psychic abilities themselves…there's a lot of factors. And I don't really know if that's what this could be because hasn't _happened _before-"

"Well, maybe it's the dead guy," He pointed out. "If he can drain someone's blood out without leaving a mark then I think he's got enough power to mess with your head."

"But if that's true," Jazmine shot back, looking pale. "That means he knows we're on to him. And if he knows that, that means he can kill the guy at any possible time!"

"Then I guess that means we've gotta move," He replied, letting her go and starting back for the main road. When Jazmine didn't follow him he sighed, turning around. "What now-"

"Shut up."

He raised an eyebrow. Jazmine was glancing over her shoulder further down the alleyway, her eyes narrowed. He took a step towards her.

"What-"

"Hush!" She repeated, giving him a look. "Follow me."

He gave her a look but didn't protest. Instead he trailed after her as she ducked further into the alleyway, catching up to her as she turned the corner.

"Where are we going?"

She didn't say anything, instead turning down a much darker, much more narrow alley and shaking her head.

"_Jazmine_."

"I'm trying-" She said from between clenched teeth. "To _focus_." She made a sharp left, emerging onto another street, which was completely congested and filled with people. Huey had to shove through a good dozen people before he was completely slamming into her, having to grab her elbows to keep her from falling over.

"Where is he?" He asked urgently, dropping his hands. Jazmine started to answer but stopped, closing her eyes. He waited as patiently as he could, considering that he had the odd sense that something was wrong. Her eyes popped open and before he could react she spun around, disappearing in the crowd. He groaned.

"Jazmine!" He yelled, which was pretty futile since it was nearly completely drowned out by all the people around him. He shoved through to the other side of the street, but he didn't see her. She'd vanished. "Damn it!" He started down the sidewalk but stopped again as he glanced to his left and noticed an alleyway. He gave his surroundings one more glance over before starting towards it, his eyes narrowed as he looked down it. He could see something moving but it was so far away and dark that he couldn't make it out.

"Hey!" He shouted, making the figure stop.

It was probably a stupid thing to be shouting to strangers, but oh, well. He took another step forward, his fists clenching. The figure stepped forward as well. He could see that it was wearing old fashioned clothes, their face hidden in the shadows. He stopped.

_Run_.

He took a step back as the figure stepped forward again, letting out a cold, deep laugh.

Well. _That _wasn't good. Huey shook his head, sighing. This was the killer. He didn't need anyone to tell him otherwise or present him with evidence. He could just _feel_ it. The air seemed to grow colder and colder around him with every passing second. Maybe this was why Jazmine's visions had been messing up. This…_thing _had caused it so that he could separate them. So that he could get who he was really after; him.

But why would he want him of all people?

Before the guy could come any closer, he stopped. And then, in the blink of an eye, he faded. Huey blinked.

"Huey!" He could hear Jazmine's voice echoing through the alleyway and started forward. She sounded like she was trying not to panic, and was failing. "Huey!"

"Hold on!" He yelled back, running down the alley. He jumped on a big dumpster, leaping over a tall, chain length fence that separated one side of the alley from the other. He came to where it crossed into another and glanced both ways before spotting movement to his left. He started forward, then froze.

There was a ghost that was standing in front of Jazmine, who was on her hands and knees in front of something. When he looked even closer he realized it was a body. _Shit_.

Jazmine was wiping her eyes, obviously crying. The ghost was shaking his head.

"It's okay," He said softly, sighing. "You did all you could."

A ghost comforting a living person. How backwards.

"Do you remember?" Jazmine asked, her voice strained. "Who did this?"

The ghost looked up, spotting Huey. His eyes widened, then hardened. He pointed towards him.

"Him."

Jazmine's head whipped around and she spotted Huey standing there. Her eyes widened and then her head spun back around towards the ghost.

"_Me_?" Huey practically spat. "Like hell I-"

"He couldn't have," Jazmine said, sniffing and wiping her eyes again. She shook her head. "He's been with me all day."

The ghost's eyes were calm again. "Well, his clothes are different, I suppose-"

"Yeah, because I didn't kill anyone!" Huey snapped, rolling his eyes. He walked closer, shoving his hands in his pockets. He stopped behind Jazmine and winced, taking a step back away from the body. "Damn."

"You," Jazmine said with closed eyes. "Are not helping right now." She opened them again, covering her mouth with her hand and gazing back up at the ghost. "I don't know what happened. I saw this happening, and then it just kept _changing_-"

"It's okay, miss-"

"It's not!" Jazmine gestured towards him. "This _wasn't _supposed to happen!"

"It was." The ghost crouched down in front of her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "If you saw me dying and that's what wound up occurring, then it's exactly what was supposed to happen."

She shook her head as if she didn't believe him, covering her face with her hands. Huey crouched down beside her, staring up at the guy as well.

"What happened?" He asked. The man shrugged.

"I have no idea. I was walking to my car. This man comes out of nowhere and tells me he wants my name. Next thing I know, I'm dead."

"So what, it just happened a few minutes ago?" Huey asked. When he nodded he shook his head. "That means you must have already been killed when I saw the guy."

Jazmine's head flew up and she stared at him with wide eyes. "You _saw _him?"

"Yeah. I didn't make out his face, though."

The ghost's head tilted to the side, his eyes narrowed.

"What's your name?" Jazmine asked, resting her chin on her hand. He sighed.

"Ethan." He rubbed a hand through his thinning hair. "Ethan Etheridge."

Jazmine swallowed. "I'm…so sorry."

He sighed, materializing into thin air. "Me, too."

Huey and Jazmine watched him go, the air filling with a deep silence that seemed to be louder than any words could be. Huey stood up, breaking out his phone.

"You didn't touch him, did you?"

She shook her head, swallowing again and turning away. He nodded, pressing the phone to his ear and gesturing for her to take his hand. She did, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" She asked, clearing her throat to get the hoarseness out her voice. He gave her a look.

"What do you think? Calling the cops." He gestured towards the eerily still body just a few feet from them. "We can't just leave him there."

He had a point. She nodded, leaning against one of the brick walls and taking a deep breath. He looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

Her first instinct was to say she was, to tell him what she told everyone else; she was fine, she'd be okay. But she glanced towards his body again, feeling her insides lurch. She didn't care what anyone said. She'd seen this happening way in advanced and she was supposed to stop it. For the first time in her life, she hadn't been able to save someone. She felt horrible. She hadn't felt this badly since…

Well, since her grandmother died.

She closed her eyes, inhaling sharply through her nose before opening them again and shaking her head.

"No." She swallowed, her eyes filling all over again. "I'm not."

---

_September 14, 1920_

_We are too close._

_I can tell. What turned into me doing him a simple favor has turned into afternoon tea sessions, or late night walks. Sometimes I will get extra bread from the bakery and share it with him for lunch. I know it is wrong of me to be so close to someone, but I cannot help it. I just feel as if I am drawn to him somehow, despite our circumstances._

_It is unusual how people can act in our lives at different times. The ones you casually see as a stranger wind up becoming one of your closest friends. It has only been a couple of weeks and I feel as if I have known him my entire life. It is not safe. It is not right. It is dangerous to trust him._

_Somehow, I cannot bring myself to care. And that is probably the most dangerous part of all._

_---_

"I don't get it." Huey was sitting in front of her computer, staring at the screen. "There's no connection. The first guy was in his forties, the second woman was only twenty, and the last person was almost seventy. They all lived in different places, had completely different careers, went to different schools…they aren't connected in any way."

Jazmine, who was lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling, sighed.

"Maybe there isn't supposed to be one," She mumbled, causing him to glance back at her. "Maybe this thing is just killing them for fun."

"It could be. But something tells me that's not it."

Jazmine swallowed. "Have you ever seen someone die before?"

Huey paused, his fingers positioned above the keys. He turned back around, resting his arm on the chair.

"Yes."

She looked towards him, waiting. He shrugged.

"Back in Chicago. I was nine. There were these two guys on the Michigan Avenue Bridge when Riley and I were walking home one day. One of them shot the other, and then he took off."

He was so casual about it that Jazmine's eyebrows knotted together. She sat up, resting her hands in her lap.

"What did you do?" She asked quietly. He snorted.

"What could I do? The one guy was dead. And the people around us were so freaked out they all called the cops before either of us could think about it. Riley, he started crying. It's not a fun thing to watch, but it's death. And whether you're sad about it or not, it's going to keep happening and the world's going to keep turning. You just have to let it go. If you don't, it'll wind up burying you and you might as well be dead yourself."

Jazmine seemed to process his words for a few moments before she lay back down, staring at the ceiling.

"My grandma had pneumonia," She said softly. "When she got sick, my mom convinced her to come here. Then, she had to go to the hospital." She shrugged, sniffing and hating herself for feeling like she was going to cry, even after all this time. "Her immune system, it wasn't very strong, and it was viral so there was nothing they could do but wait and see. I was with her when she died." She cleared her throat, aware that Huey's eyes were on her but refusing to look at him. "My parents were in the cafeteria and I was holding her hand. And she looked at me, and she tried to say something, and she couldn't. She just…died. She suffocated and there was nothing I could do about it. I remember after she died, I just started screaming. My parents came, the nurses came, but I just wouldn't stop screaming. They finally just had to let me wear myself out." She took a deep breath.

"I've always seen ghosts. I've always been aware that people die at every moment, and that it could happen at any time. But when it happened to her it was just…" She let her words trail off and shook her head. "I don't know. It was the worst feeling I've ever had. For awhile I couldn't even feel anything. And then when I could, it was just so _bad_. I promised myself that if I could ever save someone's life, if I ever get a vision that comes my way or a ghost who needs a favor, I'd never turn them down. Ever." She finally looked at him. "I don't break promises."

He stared back, lifting his chin slightly.

"You still can't blame yourself when it doesn't go right." His tone was matter-of-fact. "Everything's not always going to go right."

"Obviously."

He gave her a look. She sighed, looking away again.

"Forget it." She went back to staring at the ceiling. "Forget everything."

Huey turned back to the computer, not saying anything. She sat up, letting her legs fall over the edge of the bed. She stared down at the floor, silent. After a few minutes Huey sighed, pushing back from the computer and sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. He looked at her.

"It's not your fault."

She didn't look up. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Really. It's not."

She nodded before bursting into tears all over again and hugging him, squeezing her eyes shut. He wasn't usually a touchy feely kind of person, but it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

Well, the crying bothered him. But that was a given.

"Don't go." Her arms tightened around his middle, her forehead resting against his chest. She took in a deep, shaky breath. "Please don't go."

A mere two and a half weeks ago they weren't even talking, and now she actually wanted him around. How funny, the way things worked. He nodded.

"I won't."

* * *

Nothing like dead people to bring the living together? Maybe? No? I should stfu? Gotcha.

Thanks for reading! You know what to do!

...what, NO. I did NOT mean exit out the page and go about your business! Review first, buddy! I'm onto you! :P

-Kelsey


	11. A History

I'm definitely in my computer class right now. I have this story saved on my flash drive, so I was like "Man, fuck _that_" and polished off this chapter as the professor yammered on about something. She's still talking but honestly, I have a high B. I just don't give a shit about this class, haha. This may seem like a filler, but it is not. Oh, it is definitely not (teehee. This one was fun). Thank you very much to Leka10 and MzMinn3 for the reviews! They are on their GAME! Unlike THE REST OF YOU...O_o

So, this is closer to the end than the beginning, but I can't say how many chapters are left. I KNOW this won't be long as Old Soul was (which was like, 29 chapters) but it _probably _won't be as short as Let Me In was (which was 18 chapters). It might be, I don't know. Things change sometimes, but this is already mapped out so I don't think it will deviate from that. I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! (I know you need the encouragement if you're anything like me, because Mondays are shit)

Warning: I'm noticing there's a lot of Riley lovers up here. He's not in this one much. My bad.  
...I said MY BAD! DANG! :P

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks is STILL not mine._

* * *

A History

_"I am on to you."_

_She kept walking, facing forward and refusing to look at the man who had come up beside her. "I do not know what you are talking about, sir."_

_"Ah." He didn't sound serious like she did, merely amused. "So we are back to formalities."_

_"Yes." Her words were sharp. "I should not have ever let it get past formalities in the first place."_

_"Why?" He kept up with her fast pace, taking a solitary step for every two of her own. "Because for once in your life there is someone who refuses to let you run away from your feelings?"_

_"_Stop _that!" She stopped, spinning towards him. "I do not have feelings."_

_"You do," He replied, much more calm than she was. "Otherwise, you would not be so angry."_

_"You," She said, whipping back around. "Are impossible."_

_"I am not the one who admitted I was in love," He pointed out, tailing her. "I am not the one who ran away after saying such words-"_

_"I did not _run_." She shook her head. "I walked."_

_"You walked very quickly."_

_"It was still not a run."_

_"It is not the point." He shook his head as well. "You cannot say words such as those and expect there to be no consequence."_

_"Consequence?" She stopped again, planting her feet on the ground and glaring up at him. "I was not thinking clearly. You see, Russ, I cannot love you. I have not yet hit twenty years old age and you are already forty. You are nice and hardworking and honest and-"_

_"Are you telling me that you are none of those things?"_

_"I am telling you," She said coldly. "That I am those things, but I cannot afford to be any of those things towards you."_

_"I do not believe that."_

_"Then I suggest you start getting it through your head. We are friends. Nothing more."_

_She marched off, leaving him staring after her in the distance._

Her eye popped open. She blinked, inhaling deeply before yawning and glancing around.

It was still dark outside, since her room was still dark, minus the dim lamp that was in the corner. She sighed, closing her eyes again.

Only, they shot open again when she realized she wasn't alone.

She sat up, glancing beside her to see Huey sleeping, his breathing even and his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She looked at the clock. _2:42 _am. It was early. Gross.

She rubbed her head, thinking back to the night before. She'd been crying so hard that she must have fallen asleep somehow? He must have did the same. Well, minus the crying part. Not wanting to wake him up but at the same time not wanting to have an awkward awakening in a few hours she slowly got up, started for the door, and then remembered her dream.

The diary! With all that was happening, she hadn't even remembered she had it.

She reached underneath her pillows, withdrawing the old diary and creeping out the door. She grabbed a pillow and a blanket off her parents' bed, tiptoes down the stairs, and flopped down on the couch. She stuffed the pillow behind her head and snuggled under the blanket before cracking open the diary and flipping to a fresh entry.

_'September 22, 1920_

_Today, I met Russ's son._

_He was not very pleasant and I could tell he did not like me. After all, he was almost three months older than me, with his birthday being in late May and mine falling in the middle of August. He looked just like his father, give or take a few differences. He departed soon after I came, which I had to admit brought me a sense of relief._

_"It is alright." Russ had obviously sensed the same thing I did and offered me a shrug as I sat at his kitchen table with a mug of tea. "He is not very fond of too many people."_

_I had frowned. "He seemed like I had offended him somehow."_

_"Well." Russ had leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. "Typically, the only time a man and a woman are seen together, it means that they are either married or courting."_

_I choked on my tea._

_"I did not say _we _were courting." He snorted, rolling his eyes. "I am too old for you."_

_"So if you were not," I pointed out, not being able to keep from teasing. "Then we _would _be courting."_

_He'd rolled his eyes again. "Anya…"_

_"You said it," I pointed out, resuming the sipping of my tea._

_I thought a lot about our conversation as I walked later that day, picking herbs off a hill that overlooked the city. What would it be like if we were courting? Was he really too old for me? Did I really care? I concluded that if I was thinking about it so much then I had to have cared._

_It does not matter. We are but friends, and that is the way it will stay.' _

Well. Someone had been in denial. Jazmine started to turn the page but yawned again, shutting the book and resting it on her stomach. She closed her eyes.

"I'll just rest my eyes…for a few minutes…" She murmured to herself, falling into a deep sleep no sooner than after the words left her mouth

---

"Aye, yo!" Riley burst into Huey's room, sucking his teeth. Huey pulled one of his earphones out his ear, regarding him with a wary expression. "Lemme use yo laptop."

Huey glanced up from the screen, shaking his head and looking at Riley as if he were nuts. "No." He rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with your desktop in your room?"

"I don't wanna use it in my room!" Riley snapped. "I wanna use it downstairs so dat I can play Bioshock at da same time!"

"Nigga, how the hell you gonna use the computer and play video games at the same time?" Huey asked.

"Man, can I just use yo damn-"

"No!" Huey rolled his eyes. "I know you see me using it right now!"

He had a headache. For some reason, his stomach was feeling funny. And his throat was sore, which meant he did not feel like wasting his energy on arguing with his younger sibling. Riley's eyes narrowed.

"Man, yo selfish ass!" Riley spun around, storming out the room and slamming the door. Huey rolled his eyes again, replacing his earphone and going back to the computer screen. Since he'd spent Friday night hanging out with Maya and Saturday with Jazmine, he had a ton of homework to make up before school the next day. Not to mention he'd gotten nowhere on his Genealogy project. And shit, he wanted those extra credit points.

He'd tried finding information on his supposedly crazy great-grandfather, but to no avail. His great-_great_-grandfather was even harder to pin down. After a good hour of useless searching he started to go down to his Grandad's den and dig out his mother's stuff, just to make it easier. Only, just as he went to exit the page he spotted a link on the search engine.

_'1924 Fire in New Orleans kills Seventeen People'_ it read boldly. In the summary underneath the words _Matthew _and _Freeman _were in bold print. Huh. He clicked on it, his eyes scanning the page when it loaded.

_'A fire in Uptown New Orleans, started due to unknown causes, was responsible for the death of nearly twenty people, some whose identities who were never discovered. Among the identified were Katherine Ferguson, Farah Waters, Angela Fox, Michael Thompson, Matthew Freeman, Thomas Nicholson-'_

Wait, that was it?! He scrolled up and down the page. Well. He didn't know anything except that his great-grandfather was nuts and his great-great grandfather died in a New Orleans fire. That sure was helpful. He groaned, exiting out the page and shaking his head. When his phone rang a few minutes later he quickly picked it up, for once relieved. He usually hated talking on the phone, but anything that was going to distract him from that crap would be great. "Hello?" He asked, lying back on his pillows and staring at the ceiling.

"Huey P!" Caesar's cheerful voice rang through his ear. "Yo, man! Where you been? I called you probably half a dozen times last night and you didn't pick up."

Whoops. "Sorry, man. My phone died."

"And you forgot to charge it?" Caesar snorted in his ear. "That doesn't sound like you at all. Whatever. Hey, you're going to think I'm crazy, but…well, Cindy and I thought we saw you in Baltimore yesterday."

His eyebrows rose. "You don't say."

"Yeah!" Caesar let out a laugh. "And, get this; we thought we saw you with _Jazmine_."

Huey snorted. So he was calling to be nosy. "Ah."

"Yep."

Then the line fell silent. Huey rolled his eyes, clearing his aching throat. Ouch. "Let me guess. You think something's going on between us."

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to. You're thinking it."

Caesar let out a laugh. "Fine, you caught me. So, are you?"

"No."

There was a pause. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Huey glared at the phone, placing it back to his ear. "Why would I lie about it?"

"The same reason you lied when you went on a date with Giselle last year!" Caesar pointed out. "_And _when you went out with Simone Stephens for half a year freshmen year!"

"I didn't _lie _about it." Huey shrugged. "You never asked. Besides, Simone wound up being a conservative who attempted to drag me to church and Giselle had me beginning to reconsider my no-hitting-women policy."

"You still ain't tell nobody!"

"We're just friends." Huey exhaled through his nose. "Okay?"

"I don't know, man." Caesar sounded reluctant. "I mean, you drive her to school-"

"Because she lives across the _street_."

"And you two hang out outside of school-"

"Because, like you, Hiro, and Maya, she's my _friend_."

"Why do I not believe you?"

"Because you're an idiot?"

"Or I'm onto something you can't even see yet. Which would make me…well…_not _an idiot."

"Okay, really?" Huey sat up, feeling his insides flare up with anger. Why was it that whenever he hung out with a female people wanted to get on his damn nerves about it? "Look, I do _not _like Jazmine that way, okay? She is my friend. She is _tolerable_. She is just a girl who lives across the street that happens to not make me want to strangle her must as she used to!"

"Why you getting all defensive then, yo?"

"Argh! Go…play in toxic waste or something!" He snapped, pressing the end button. "Damn!" He turned back to his computer, fuming.

Seriously. He didn't like her! He couldn't help it if recent circumstances had caused them to become closer and he now saw her in a different light. She wasn't so bad, but he didn't _like _her. He knew he didn't! He'd even thought it over the night before when she'd fallen asleep after practically crying her eyes out and he'd sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at her. She was nice and she was kind, and that was the problem. She was _too _kind and she was _too _fragile and _too _nice. He just didn't have time for that.

That was why he told himself he'd stayed there longer. Just in case she woke up and needed someone to cry to, being that she were so emotionally fragile and all. It wasn't like he'd _wanted _to be there.

And he hadn't even meant to fall asleep over there! His eyes had just gotten heavy and he'd decided to rest them for a couple moments, and the next thing he'd known it was six in the morning and he was waking up, alone, on her bed. Which, it was a good thing he'd been alone; otherwise it would have been strangely awkward. Since he'd gone down the stairs and spotted her sleeping on the couch it hadn't been hard for him to just let himself out the front door and creep in his own house like he'd been there the whole time. It wasn't as if Grandad would care, but he didn't really need the hassle.

So okay, he _was _nicer to her than most people and she didn't irk his nerves, but that didn't mean he _liked _her. She was just too different. That's what he kept telling himself, anyways.

Wait, why the hell was he even thinking about it again? He had homework to do! Or laundry! Or…something that didn't revolve around thinking about how he liked some girl-

Uh oh. He blinked. Did he really just think that?

Nah. He shook his head, forcing himself to try and focus on his homework.

---

When her mother came into her room later that evening, Jazmine was in the bed, reading. "Hey, sweetie," She said, grinning. Jazmine looked up, smiling herself.

"Hey." She sat up as Sarah plopped down on the edge of her bed, holding a wooden box. "How was your weekend?" Her brow rose. "And what's that?"

Sarah sighed, shrugging. "Well, your father was discussing it with me," She said, kicking off her heels. "He says that even if my relationship with my mother wasn't the best, it doesn't mean I should keep you from knowing about the rest of your family."

Jazmine gave her mom a wary look. "When did this happen?"

"Oh, I don't know." She shrugged. "A week ago?" She glanced at her. "I went in the attic and dug this up. I meant to give it to you but I got tied up with something else."

Jazmine's eyes widened. No wonder she hadn't found what she was looking for when she and Huey went up there! Her mother had gotten to it! Sarah cleared her throat.

"We don't have the best of relationships. At least, it's not as good as it could be." She tucked a leg under her. "I know you feel that you can't tell me most things because I won't understand. And, I know I've never been receptive in listening to you. But I really understand." She gave Jazmine a knowing look. "I really do."

Her eyes widened.

"I can't ignore the truth. Not anymore." She bit her lip, her blue eyes focused on Jazmine's green ones. "I don't care what you are, or what you see. You will always be my daughter. And I will always love you."

Jazmine's throat clogged, her eyes welling with tears. She jumped forward, throwing her arms around Sarah and closing her eyes, tears leaking out the corners.

"Thank you," She managed, sniffing. Her mom hugged her back, her own eyes full.

"I'm sorry." She held Jazmine away at arm's length, staring at her. "I am so sorry."

Jazmine shook her head, hugging her again. "It's okay."

"It's just-" Sarah went on, looking as if she felt ashamed. "I have three brothers, and I was always the weird one. No one understood except for my mom and she always tried to get me to see it as a good thing, but I couldn't. And when I met your father…well, he's obviously not one of us."

It was so funny hearing her mom refer to herself as whatever Jazmine was that she burst out laughing. Sarah shook her head, smiling herself.

"So, what happened?" Jazmine shrugged. "I mean, you just ignore what you see?"

"I don't see anything. Not anymore." Sarah twisted her wedding ring, frowning slightly. "I never saw the dead. My mother, she didn't either. She just knew that her mother did and she didn't want you feeling so afraid, so she told you she could see them as well."

"I know." Jazmine nodded. "She told me she could never see them."

Sarah's eyebrow rose. "When was this?"

"Um…" Jazmine rubbed her neck, feeling uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being able to talk about this stuff with her and be taken seriously. "A…few weeks ago?"

Sarah smiled, shaking her head. "Well." She lightly cleared her throat. "When your father asked me to marry him, I went to my mother and asked her to lock my powers."

"Lock them?" Jazmine's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

She nodded. "Mortals and non-mortals, they're not supposed to be together. It almost never works. The only time it does is when the mortal doesn't know about the other's secret." She snorted. "I hated my powers. I was glad to get rid of them."

Jazmine glanced down at her knees.

"I was thinking about admitting all of this to you for a long time," She continued quietly. "I could tell that you felt as if you couldn't tell us anything. I could feel the space between us. When you told me about you and Cindy's argument earlier this week I remember feeling relieved that you'd finally come to me for something instead of just bottling everything up." She smiled. "And your dad, he pointed out how much I regretted not being close to my own mother when she died. And how at the rate we were going, we'd wind up the same way." She shook her head. "I don't want us to be that way."

Jazmine shook her head. "I don't, either." She laced her fingers together. "So, daddy doesn't know?"

Sarah shook her head. "Your great-grandmother's husband didn't know. She never told him. She hated him. And your grandma, her husband found out and she had to erase his memory, especially when they divorced. There are very few mortals who would understand. If you find one who does, I suggest you hold on to them."

Her words were meant as a joke, but Jazmine felt her insides lurch. Sarah gave her a look.

"_Does _someone know?"

She shook her head. She was glad they were repairing their relationship and all but she didn't want her mom to be mad at her. "What did Grammy do? To lock your powers?" She asked. Sarah shrugged, shaking her head.

"I don't remember. She had some sort of spell book. It was some sort of ritual." She pat Jazmine's hand. "I think though, if I could take it back, I would. Being normal, it's good. But being something more? It was all I knew. It was a part of me."

Jazmine didn't reply. Sarah rose to her feet, picking up her heels and heading for the door.

"Mom."

Sarah turned around, giving her a questioning glance. Jazmine offered her a smile.

"I love you."

Sarah grinned, holding the doorknob. "I love you, too." She walked out, closing the door behind her. Jazmine pushed her hair behind her ears, eyeing the box.

She wondered what could be in it. Another journal? Something rare and valuable? Another damn locket? She shuddered at the thought of the last one, grabbing the top off the box and lifting it. She stared down into it.

It was paper. A bunch of folded up papers. She set down the top, digging in and unfolding one of the items. She glanced at it, seeing a long letter written in a loopy scrawl she was too lazy to decipher. She continued to dig through it, glancing at letter after letter.

The writing was odd…it was fancy, but not nearly as close as her great-grandmother's, or even her grandmother's. It didn't sound like her, either. She tossed one more letter aside, pulling out a particularly worn page and unfolding it. It fell right open, exposing a family tree. She glanced at it, her eyes widening.

It was a family tree…but it wasn't _her _family tree. She gasped, staring at it.

"No way…"

---

_October 13, 1920_

_The day had come for me to visit my mother again._

_I went to the usual florist shop and bought a bouquet of Hyacinths since they had been her favorite. I put on the necklace that she had always worn, and I started for the familiar meadow near my old home. When an all familiar figure fell in step beside me I glanced up at him, raising my eyebrow._

_"Good afternoon." I nodded, facing forward again. He put his hands in his pockets, smirking._

_"Nice flowers." He gave me a look. "Are they from your secret admirer?"_

_"You are so funny." I'd stuck out my tongue, my face becoming serious again. "They are for my mother. I am going to visit her burial site." His smile faltered. "Goodbye, now."_

_I kept walking, somewhat surprised when he caught up to me a few seconds later._

_"Your mother is dead?" _

_"Yes." I kept my voice even. "I surely hope so. Otherwise, the person I have been visiting for the past year and one month has been getting a lot of free flowers."_

_"I did not know." _

_"How could you? I did not tell you."_

_"Well, what is of your father?"_

_"He is also dead." I have to admit, I felt pretty nervous telling him all of this. Not only was it bad letting him know more about me than necessary, but I did not want or need his sympathy. To my surprise, I got neither._

_"That makes a lot of sense."_

_I stopped, giving him a look. "How is that?"_

_"Well." He stopped as well, shrugging. "You have never mentioned them. You have no photos of them. For a woman, you are tough to get to know."_

_"For a woman?" I nearly laughed. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

_"I mean to say that women are notoriously more emotional than men, whereas you, as a woman, are not," He said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, Anya. Not everything is to be taken as an insult."_

_"Well." I resumed my walk and he followed. "There are things I do not know about you as well."_

_"Such as?"_

_I shrugged. "Your wife's name, or how she died. What she was like. Where you are from. Your full name. We both withhold information from each other, and quite frankly I am glad."_

_He gave me a look. "Why is that?"_

_"Because," I replied. "I do not want someone knowing everything about me. It is disturbing."_

_"I do not need to know everything." He sucked his teeth. "Most people tend to mention that their parents are dead, however."_

_"Well. Mine are dead. There you go." I stopped, giving him a slight curtsy. "And this is where we part ways, Russ."_

_"What if I also wanted to pay my respects to your deceased?" He asked, once again following me. I had been surprised. Going with someone to visit a grave was not something that people usually volunteered to do. I paused, biting my lip. I did not really want to be witnessed grieving. It would make me seem…weak._

_I could not tell him now, however. He looked so sincere and genuine that I had shrugged, nodding._

_"Fine."_

_The rest of the walk had been silent. By the time we got to the cemetery, a small, bright field with spread out headstones and tall grasses, I could feel my face flaming. How awkward this had to be for him. Only, to my surprise, he did not seem fazed._

_"I did not even know this was a burial site," He had said, slowly following me as I made my way near the center of the meadow, tilting my head back so that the sun could warm my face. I sighed._

_"I had not, either." Coming upon her headstone I crouched down, placing the flowers at the head of it. Russ stood beside me as I straightened, reading the headstone aloud._

_"Lena Celeste James. She died last September." He glanced at me, frowning. "I am sorry."_

_I snorted in response. There was the sympathy. _

_"It is alright," He said in a knowing tone. "For someone to be saddened for your tragedies. It does not mean they feel sorry for you. It means that they have compassion. It means they are human."_

_I had stared back, surprised. He glanced back down at the headstone, his mouth curving upwards into a small smile._

_"Look at that." His voice was filled with humor. "We have the same birthday."_

_My eyes widened. "July 1, 1880?"_

_"July 1, 1880." He pushed his hands in his pockets. I eyed him._

_"You are forty."_

_He laughed, examining my face. "And you are horrified."_

_"I am no such thing. I am merely surprised." I snorted when he continued laughing. "What can I say? I told you, I do not know much about you."_

_He stopped laughing, nodding. "Alright, then." He cleared his throat. "My wife's name was Ayana. Her maiden name was Thompson. She died of influenza, eight years ago. I am from Charleston, South Carolina. I moved here exactly twenty three years ago after my parents were killed by white supremacists. I have a sister named Afiyah, she lives in Philadelphia. My brother, Lewis, is still in Charleston."_

_I had glanced down to the ground. "I am-"_

_"Sorry?" He asked, sounding a bit amused. I looked back up. "You cannot expect to be able to give sympathy and not have it returned."_

_I felt my face color. He was always making me feel like a child. I suppose he cannot help it being that we are from two different generations._

_"My mother emigrated here from Ireland," I heard myself saying before I could even stop myself. "My father's name was Francis Scott, and he was from Mississippi. When they had me, the Jim Crow laws were still gaining ground, and when it was found out that he had been with a white woman, he was hanged." I was so used to the story that it did not make me feel nearly as sad as it once did. "My mother told me that she and I were almost killed as well, but a man saved us and helped us escape to the bayou. This is why I do not proclaim my African side. My parents did not care about race, and it almost got them killed. One of them did get killed." When I said that I could feel my throat closing. "In order to get my mother a proper burial I had to pretend to have stumbled across her, just so that I did not get killed. I could not pay to put her in a decent cemetery. It was the worst feeling I had ever felt." I lifted my chin. "I resent the people here for what they did to my parents. I do not trust anyone. As soon as I get enough money I plan on moving up north."_

_I could not believe I admitted all of that, but what was done was done. I swallowed, staring down at the tombstone. He regarded me with a look._

_"Your mother was a redhead."_

_I stared at him with raised eyebrows. "Excuse me?"_

_"Your mother was a redhead," He stated simply. "She also had green eyes. She was taller than the average woman."_

_I gave him a wary look. "How do you know all that?" I shook my head. "I do not have any photos of her."_

_He took a deep breath, staring down at the headstone._

_"It was October 19, 1902," He said quietly, rubbing his shoulder. "It was nearly midnight. I was an apprentice for another carpenter and heard of the hanging of a man who had been with a white woman. There were rumors that townspeople were looking for the woman to kill her as well." He shrugged. "I wound up coming across her on my way home. She was hiding behind a trashcan with her baby, and a group of people were approaching. I told them she'd run the opposite direction and when they all left, I took her to the bayou."_

_I had felt my breath catch in my lungs and had given him a look, my eyes wide. He had snorted, as if what he said were funny._

_"I guess it is a small world."_

_The air around us had gone quiet, except for the occasional bird or the wind blowing through the trees that bordered the front of the meadow. I brushed my hands along my skirt._

_"You saved my life." I looked down to the headstone. "You saved our lives."_

_He did not say anything. I looked up at him once again, for the first time not afraid of the tears that sprung to my eyes._

_"Thank you." I had barely been able to get it out before I was crying, and then he was hugging me, gently crushing me against his chest. I did not feel ashamed by my tears. I did not feel like a baby. I felt…safe._

_"My mother had told me our rescuer's name was Matthew," I suddenly remembered, sniffing. He chuckled. "Your name is not Matthew."_

_"I told you that I am called Russ." His voice was matter-of-fact. "I never told you my real name."_

_"Well." I looked up, peering into his face. "Where did the Russ come from?"_

_He smirked. "Russ, as in Russell. As in my middle name."_

_I nodded, taking a step back and rubbing my eyes._

_"Russell. Matthew Russell." He nodded as well and I smirked through my tears. "And does Matthew Russell have a last name?"_

_Matthew, my savior, my own personal hero, had rolled his eyes and nodded._

_"Freeman." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Matthew Russell Freeman."_

_---_

"Huey!" Jazmine burst into her neighbor's room, a folded piece of paper in her hand. "Huey, guess what? Whoa." She stopped, pausing in the doorway and wincing. "You look horrible."

"Yeah, thanks. I _feel _horrible." He glared up at her from his place on the floor. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was in his pajamas, a trashcan beside his head. "It came out of nowhere."

"Maybe it's a stomach virus." Jazmine resisted the urge to run. If there was one thing she hated, it was viruses. She stepped into his room, grasping the paper. "I think I have something that might cheer you up!"

"Is it an antidote?" He asked sarcastically. She grimaced.

"Well…no."

He groaned.

"But it's something that might help you with your genealogy project!" She chirped brightly, holding it out towards him. When he gave her a look she crouched down so that she was closer to his height and handed it to him. "At least, I think it might."

He unfolded it, glancing at it. He blinked, as if trying to focus on actually reading it.

"How the hell did you get this?" He asked. Jazmine shook her head, grinning.

"_And_," She added, whipping out an old book. "I was reading my great-grandmother's diary? It turns out she and _your _great-great grandfather knew each other! He saved her life!"

"I would be a lot more excited," He said, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth. "If I didn't feel like death."

Jazmine made a face. "Sorry. I just thought it was cool. I mean, if she would have been killed, I never would have existed, you know?"

"Yeah." Huey rolled his eyes. "And then I wouldn't have to listen to you talk me to death."

She glared at him. "Sorry." She stood up, snatching the book back up and spinning on her heel. "I'll just leave you to your precious trashcan and your floor-"

"Wait." Jazmine glanced over her shoulder. Huey's eyes were closed.

"I'm sorry." He took a deep breath. "But Riley heard me throwing up and he told Grandad, so they're both avoiding my room like I've got the plague. And, as much as I'd hate to admit this, I am too dizzy to get up by myself."

Jazmine frowned. "Really?"

"No, I'm completely making it up."

"Not too sick to not be sarcastic, I see."

"Never." He groaned. "Can you just help me up, please? While I still have _some _shred of dignity left?"

Jazmine set down the book, shaking her head and walking back over to him. "It's no big deal, you know." She crouched down, taking his clammy hands in her own. "Everyone needs help sometimes."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Ready? At the count of three. One, two-"

"Ah!" Huey practically flew on the bed when Jazmine suddenly yanked him up with all the strength she could muster. He glared at her. "What the hell? That was _not _three!"

"I never said I was counting to three!" She told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You merely assumed it."

"You know what?" Jazmine never found out what he was going to say for he suddenly made a face, wincing. "Damn it-"

She hurriedly grabbed the trashcan, not looking inside and thrusting it towards him. He grabbed it from her, holding it up to his face. She looked away, swallowing and trying not to be _too _disgusted with the fact that he was throwing up a mere few feet away from her.

Then again, it was amusing. Huey Freeman never got sick.

"You should probably go now," He managed, lifting his head. "I don't want you to catch…whatever this is."

"It's no big deal." She shrugged, putting her hands in her pockets. "I have this feeling that if I leave you, no one else will come check on you and you'll die."

"Don't worry." He eased back, placing the trashcan at the side of his bed and rolling his eyes. "I'll come haunt you if that's the case."

She stuck out her tongue, pausing at the door. "You want something? Some water? Some tea?"

She could see him beginning to say no, but then he paused. He sat up, thinking. He slowly nodded.

"Which one? Both?"

"The second one." He was giving her a suspicious look, as if he didn't know what to make of the situation. She nodded, spinning around and smacking into Riley.

"Nigga, move!" He looked in at Huey, his nose wrinkling. "This nigga look like he dyin."

"Riley." Jazmine rolled her eyes. She heard Huey groan behind her. "I'm sure you're not helping."

"Ain't my fault his immune system puny!" He cackled, shaking his head. "He throwin up an shit. It's prolly contagious. And if it's contagious, dat mean you prolly got it!" His eyes grew wide. "And if you got it, den I prolly got it!"

"It's the stomach flu, not a zombie virus!" Huey snapped. "Get out!"

"Don' gotta tell me twice." Riley darted down the hall, slamming his door to his room. Jazmine shook her head, offering him a smile.

"Just, stay there." She walked out the room. "I'll be back."

"Yeah, like I'm going to go anywhere else!" He shot after her. She rolled her eyes as she went down the stairs.

---

_October 31, 1920_

_I just had the oddest conversation. It is impolite to write in the company of others, especially when in public, but I cannot let this go undocumented._

_I saw Anthony outside of the house when I went to visit Matthew (I do prefer his name more than his nickname), chopping wood. At first I started to simply walk past him, but it was as if he could sense my presence. He whirled around, his eyes narrowing when he saw me standing there._

_"Ms. James," He said, in that cold tone he often used with me. I let my own eyes narrow as well._

_"Mr. Freeman." I forced myself to make my stare as intimidating as his own. We both have the same eye color, which is a bit disturbing. I do not enjoy having anything in common with him, even something as insignificant as that. "Is your father home?"_

_"Why do you not go see for yourself?" He practically snarled. I took a step back. He was, after all, holding an axe. He did not seem to have good control over his emotions, unlike his father._

_"I will do just that." I stuck my nose in the air, starting past him. Then, he grabbed my arm._

_Needless to say, I got an attitude rather quickly._

_"Let go of my arm."_

_"Listen to what I have to say."_

_"I will not listen to you," I went on, lowering my tone. "Until you let go of my arm."_

_He did so and I yanked it back away from him, rubbing it. He leaned to the side, placing his weight on his axe. Really, he is too handsome to be so mean._

_He scowled at me. "I do not approve."_

_My eyebrow shot up. "Sir?"_

_"I said, I do not approve," He repeated, shaking his head. I glared back._

_"We are friends. I do not believe I need your approval."_

_"He is my father!" He snapped, making me abruptly close my mouth. "He is forty. He is too old to be hanging around with some little child."_

_"This little child," I shot back. "Happens to be the same age as you are. I am sure that you do not consider yourself to be a little child."_

_"I do not, but I am his son." He snorted. "You are not a part of our family. You do not belong here."_

_I could feel my face heating up. "Who are you to tell me who I can and cannot be friends with?"_

_"I would not care if you were friends," He had said, frowning. "However, you are not."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"You," He went on. "Are in love with him."_

_I had laughed at that one. It was just so funny._

_"You are quite mad."_

_He did not look like he found the situation to be too funny._

_"I can see it in your eyes," He said carefully, making my laughter stop short in my throat. "I can see it whenever you are with him. I am very good at perceiving emotions, Ms. James."_

_"You do well at seeing what you want to," I argued._

_"I do not trust you." He had cut me off with a simple look. "My father has had too much heartache in his life. You are nothing but trouble. Soon enough, he will realize that you are no good for him."_

_I had started past him again, tossing him a scornful look of my own. "I do believe I will let him be the judge of that." I nodded, going into the house. "Have a nice day."_

_I hope he did not have a nice day, of course. I hope his axe slipped and he chopped that big mouth of his off with it._

_That was very mean. I do not wish that. I do wish he would mind his own, however._

_I am getting a few looks from a woman at the next table. I will stop now. But honestly! The nerve of people. The nerve of him. And for him to suggest I love Matthew? _

_Ridiculous. It has to be._

_---_

Stomach flu? Yeah, right.

He stared at them through the window, the last traces of daylight fading away. The girl was sitting on the edge of his bed, her hands in her lap. He was sitting up, holding an empty bowl and saying something.

That boy _wished _he had the stomach flu. No, it was not that. It was something more. It was merely…a test.

He'd fought her before. It may have been in another life and he may have lost, but he would not lose this time. This…this _girl _did not know as nearly as much about herself as she should. She did not know about him. She was not aware of what would happen, and he was fortunate for that. For there was only one way to destroy him, and the key was through a person she would never suspect. Through a person who would never see it coming.

Through a direct descendant.

He faded off, leaving them to their peace. After all, he had one more thing to do. Just one more.

Then, she, along with him, would be his.

* * *

Hmm...

Thanks for reading! You know the drill!

-Kelsey


	12. Backbone 101

I ain't even gonna lie...I am so tired I straight up just spell/grammar checked this jank and called it a day. Lol. That is a horrible thing to do, I probably have stupid mistakes, but if you catch them...well, I did warn you. Feel free to point them out/tell me how much I suck. It won't hurt my feelings any.

I had fun writing this one, but this is most certainly a filler chapter if nothing else is. haha. The story just might end sooner than I thought...but there's still _at least _five chapters, so whatever. Then again, I've always been a liar with these types of things, so... :P

Thank you to Leka10, MizzC, and insert psuedonym for the reviews! I can agree, the age difference between Matthew and Anya is BIG. It is horrifying. It is, also, something that wasn't so uncommon for their time frame. Nowadays I wish some 40 year old would try to holla at me. I'd kick him so hard his grandma would see stars. Well, there was this one time a year ago when I was 18 talking to a 30 year old...but that's a long story in itself. And I'll give you a hint to the ending of it: I got some sense. Those relationships CAN work for some, but it's not for me. My boyfriend is almost 21. I will be 20 later this year. That's good enough for me. lol.

I know, I know, no one cares...FINE. I'LL STOP TALKING. :P Enjoy your filler, suckers!  
(I honestly don't know how I went on that tangent, though. Like, forreal)

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks is STILL not mine._

Warning: Possible OOCness on a mulatto and an uh-oh oreo's part? I can't tell. I'm going to bed. Whatever.

* * *

Backbone 101

She was walking to class when the next thing she knew she was flying against a locker.

No joke. One moment, Jazmine was turning the corner…and the next she felt someone grab her arm, swinging her into the row of lockers on the wall. She dropped her books and grabbed her arm, glaring up at Maya, whose arms were over her chest.

"Ouch!" She bent down, scooping up her books. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You know what it was for!" Maya shouted. The hallways were empty being that second period had just started, so her voice bounced loudly off the walls. She thrust a finger in Jazmine's chest. "I tell you to set up Huey and I and you start _dating _him?"

"What?" Jazmine's jaw dropped. Maya shook her head, her fists clenched.

"You played the wrong bitch, DuBois." She shook her head. "You know I'm about to tear that ass up, right?"

"Whoa!" Jazmine quickly leaned out the way as Maya's fist went flying out. The angry girl's clenched fist slammed into the lockers and she groaned, whipping her hand back and massaging her knuckles. She whirled around to face Jazmine, who was on the floor.

"Wait!" Jazmine held up her hands, waving them frantically as Maya advanced on her. "I'm not dating Huey! I don't know what you're talking about!"

Maya stopped, giving her a look. Her eyes narrowed warily.

"Really." She sounded doubtful. Jazmine nodded.

"Seriously." She took a deep breath. She was not trying to get her face pounded in, especially not on a Monday. Jesus. "We're friends. I told you that."

"Oh." Maya flipped her hair behind her. "Because, well, you two have been hanging out a lot lately. And Caesar said he saw you both in Baltimore Saturday. And-"

"We used to be friends before, you know." Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "We just happen to be getting used to be friends again. There's no need to break my arm and dent my face, _okay_?"

Maya's cheeks colored and she bit her lip. "Oh." She rubbed her arm. "Sorry." She glanced around before letting out a low whistle. "This…is kind of awkward."

Jazmine rose to her feet, frowning. Maya looked at her.

"I really am sorry." To her credit she did look sincere. "I have anger issues, okay?"

"Obviously."

She rolled her eyes. "My probation officer used to tell me that-"

"You had a probation officer?!" Jazmine's jaw dropped. Maya waved her hand.

"It's nothing-"

"What the heck did you _do_?"

Maya paused before glancing around. "I vandalized a lot of things. Arson. Fighting. Okay? Geez." Her tone was defensive. Jazmine's eyebrows lifted.

"May I ask why?"

"Unless you're my therapist, who I haven't seen in over a year, then no." She put a hand on her hip. "I had a rough childhood, alright?"

Jazmine nodded, holding up her palms. "I didn't say anything. Relax."

Maya nodded, frowning prettily.

"I mean, I _know _I have anger issues," She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a violent person-"

"Ha. Oh, sorry." Jazmine winced. "You were serious?"

Maya snorted. "As I was saying, I'm not a violent person unless provoked. I mean, I can be mean, but who the hell isn't sometimes? That doesn't mean people have to take it so seriously." She shrugged. "But when I'm around Huey, I don't want to be mean anymore. At least, not to him. I don't know, he kind of helps me stay out of trouble…well, except for that one time I fought that cop-"

Jazmine blinked.

"On top of that, I have to think about my sister. She looks up to me. And my mom, she kind of depends on me. My dad, he's been gone. So I'm trying to not be so…" She waved her hand. "Whatever the hell I am."

"Angry? Aggressive? Vicious?"

"Okay, did I _ask _for your input?"

Jazmine gulped. "No."

Maya gestured to her. "I mean, take you, for example. You're all soft and gullible and weak."

"Hey!"

"Well, you are! Damn!" Maya threw up her hands. "You need some backbone. Because I heard about you and Cindy's argument and no offense, I would have caved that bitch's face in for what she said."

"Well." Jazmine lifted her chin. "I don't think physical violence is the solution to every problem."

"That can be true." Maya shrugged. "It doesn't mean you have to take so much crap from people. You gotta show yourself some pride, girl! Toughen up. You've got a bit of an attitude. I can tell. Especially at the beginning of the year when you didn't talk too much to anyone."

Jazmine shrugged.

"Not to mention, fighting those girls…it wasn't much of a fight and you got your ass kicked, but it was pretty boss." Maya gave her a look. "You've got the attitude. You just need to back it up sometimes. Be assertive. For example." She grabbed Jazmine's arm again. "When I did that the first time, you should have swung first and asked later."

"Why would I do that?" Jazmine blinked at her. "You could have had something urgent to tell me and needed my attention."

"Oh, my…" Maya closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose. "Whatever. " She released her again, bending down to pick up her books and handed them to the slightly stunned girl. "Anyways, I'm sorry. Maybe I should ask first and hit later."

"Maybe you should."

Maya stuck out her tongue. "You should sit with us at lunch today."

"What? Oh, no." Jazmine shook her head. "I mean, Cindy's there and-"

"Bitch, _so_?" Maya tossed her hair. "Jazmine, who _cares_? She's mad at you. Okay, and? What does that have to do with you sitting with your friends?"

Jazmine's eyes widened. "You consider me your friend?"

Maya eyed her. "Yeah, I _did…_until you got all Care Bear sappy on me and shit. Calm _down_." She smacked her lips. Jazmine's smile faded. "It's a free country. You can sit wherever the hell your little heart pleases. If she's got a problem with it, tell her where she can go shove that problem."

Jazmine shuffled. "I don't know…"

"You're _going _to sit with us today." Maya raised her chin, giving her a look as if she were daring her to challenge her words. "If she's got so much shit to say, let her say it. You don't have to be scared of saying how you feel." She tapped her forehead. "Self empowerment. Use it."

She nodded slowly. Maya readjusted her purse, nodding.

"Good." She pat Jazmine's shoulder. "Nice chat." And with that she spun on her heel, walking down the hallway and disappearing around the corner. Jazmine's eyebrow lifted.

She'd gone from getting beat up…to getting advice…to making a friend. She shook her head, continuing to class.

This week was _already _weird.

---

_December 14, 2020_

_"I thought I would find you here."_

_Those were the words Matthew said to me as I lay on the grass in the center of the meadow, staring up into the bright blue sky. I had given him a look as he looked down at me, his eyebrow raised._

_"You are interfering with my sunlight."_

_He had chuckled, crouching down and sitting on the dry grass beside me. "Something serious must be plaguing your mind."_

_I shook my head. He stared at me, and then shook his head._

_"You, Anya, are the worst liar I have ever met."_

_I turned my head to look at him, blinking._

_"I cannot help but notice," He went on, staring up into the sky as well. "That you have been even more distant than usual since Halloween. Is there any reason why?"_

_I had shrugged, staring up at the sky. "I have not much to say."_

_He examined me, his eyes narrowing. Finally, he sighed._

_"What did Anthony say?"_

_He did not even ask me. He told me, as if he knew that was the problem. I sat up in surprise, my hat falling off my head and landing in the grass beside me. My loose ponytail scratched at my neck and frustrated I pulled out the ribbon, shaking the curls out._

_"I have not the faintest idea of what you are saying."_

_He sucked his teeth. "A very bad liar, indeed."_

_"Why must I be lying?"_

_"Because." He regarded me with a look. "Whenever you are uneasy or you are telling a tale, the left corner of your mouth does this slight twitch." I glanced at him. "It is hardly noticeable, but it is there nonetheless."_

_"And the prize for the most creepy predator goes to…"_

_"Not funny, Anya." He gave me a look, almost as if he were truly concerned. "Now. What did he say?"_

_I shrugged. "It was much of nothing, really."_

_"It must have been something." He gestured to me. "Otherwise, you would not be so off."_

_I had sighed, lying back down and staring up into the clouds. "He told me that I am nothing but trouble and that I am no good for you." I felt like a baby admitting this. "It was stupid."_

_"Not to you."_

_"Especially to me."_

_"Then why did it bother you?"_

_"Because it just did, alright?" I had snapped defensively, closing my eyes. "I guess I am not used to being so disliked by someone."_

_I heard him chuckle. "You are funny."_

_I peeked at him. "What do you mean?"_

_"Your futile attempt to hide your feelings." He waved a hand. "It is cute."_

_"It is not cute and I do not do that!" I had told him, shooting him a dirty look. "Goodness, Matthew." I had sighed, shaking my head. He shook his head as well._

_"Anthony does not hate you." He sat up straighter. "As a matter of fact, I am willing to say he feels the exact opposite."_

_I sat up again, my eyes wide. I must have made a horrible face since he burst out laughing upon seeing my expression._

_"Please. Do not get too excited."_

_I had shaken my head. "That is ridiculous."_

_"It is not." He had nodded towards me. "You are very close in age. You are mature. You are smart, and you are pretty. It is obvious that he feels an attraction towards you."_

_I could not help but shudder. He gave me a mock glare._

_"Are you insinuating that my son is not good enough to meet your standards?"_

_"I am not implying anything." I held up my chin. "He might be right for someone else. But not me."_

_He looked amused. "And how can you be so sure?"_

_I had shaken my head. "I know who I need and I know who I do not need, Matthew. I do not need him. I do not need any man."_

_"You are beginning to sound like one of those feminists."_

_I had smirked. "I cannot help it that they are wise women. You do not insult me by comparing me to them as you would most women."_

_"I see." He leaned back, resting his palms on the soil. "However, Anya, I believe you have it wrong."_

_I wrapped my hands around my knees, looking at him. "Really."_

_He nodded._

_"Then, please. By all means, Mr. Freeman. Enlighten me."_

_He had shrugged, looking down at me._

_"One does not find a companion because they necessarily need one." He paused. "Companions are not there to be needed. They are there because they are wanted."_

_I had raised my eyebrows at his words. "Are you saying this from experience?"_

_"Of course. Everything is from experience." He had sighed, giving me a look. "You may not believe you need anyone. I, on the other hand, happen to know that you need a great deal more than you think."_

_I had given him a suspicious look. "And how do you know that?"_

_"I have my ways." He stood up, brushing himself off and peering down at me through narrowed, critical eyes._

_"It is but a suggestion, but you should consider wearing your hair down more often." He had tucked his hands into his pockets, smirking at my confused expression. "It does suit you." _

_I did not say anything. He glanced down at the headstone I was beside, looking up towards the sun._

_"It is nearly two into the afternoon." He held out a hand. "I do believe your mother has seen you for long enough." I must have looked annoyed since he went on. "Just because she I dead does not mean you should not live."_

_I had felt my face soften. Wordlessly I had taken his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. As we walked towards the city again, we had gotten halfway there before I realized I was still holding his hand. Even now as I write by candlelight my hand feels different. It is as if it is lighter, or sacred._

_As childish as this might seem…I do believe I will never wash this hand again._

_---_

Huey felt…strange.

He couldn't describe it. He wanted to say it was because he was still recovering from the odd sickness he'd had the night before, but he felt as if it could be something more. Then again, he could just be paranoid.

It was just _odd_…there were parts of the night before that he just couldn't remember; no matter how hard he tried. Or he'd get a moment of dizziness. He felt tired and weak. Maybe he should have stayed home.

Then again he'd had a physics test and there was a stats test later that day, and he couldn't afford to miss them.

"Hey." He looked up to see Jazmine sliding her tray beside his, sitting down and giving him a concerned look. "Are you feeling better?"

He felt his expression soften. It was hard _not _to. She was staring at him with those big, green eyes, her face visibly worried. Not only had she done his statistics homework for him (against his wishes, of course) but she'd also proceeded to make him some kind of vegetable soup since all they had was chicken noodle and he refused to pick the chicken bits out. She'd made him tea. She'd managed not to look _too _disgusted whenever he had to throw up. She'd been the only one who hadn't minded watching out for him.

He wasn't really used to that.

"Better," He grunted. She smiled, turning towards her tuna sandwich. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Jazmine!" Maya plopped down on his other side, Hiro setting his tray on her opposite side. She grinned. "What a pleasure it is to have you sitting with us on this fine Monday."

Huey's eyebrow rose. Hiro shook his head, breaking out the drumsticks.

"Don't-" Maya snapped, pointing at him. "-even think about it."

He gulped, quickly putting them aside. Huey sighed, closing his eyes and resting his chin in his palm.

"You should think about eating something," He heard Jazmine say softly. "You know. Build up your strength and all that."

He cut his eyes towards her without even thinking about it. "Thanks, mom. You're the best."

She looked put out. "I was just trying to help."

He closed his eyes again, snorting. Maya glanced over.

"Build your strength from what?" She asked curiously. Huey groaned.

"Nothing-"

"He was sick yesterday," Jazmine explained lightly, taking a bite of her sandwich. Maya's eyes widened and she made a face.

"Gross." She slid away from him, her nose wrinkling. "Keep your germs to yourself, Freeman."

"Nigga, scoot ova!" Riley suddenly yelled, starting to sit between him and Jazmine before giving him a disgusted look and back away. "Ewwww." He plopped down on Hiro's other side as well. "Nigga, you sick."

He rolled his eyes. Jazmine took a sip of her juice, her own eyes widening as she looked ahead. He couldn't help but look for whatever she was staring at. He followed her gaze.

_Oh_.

Caesar and Cindy were walking towards the table, lunch trays in their hands and both of them laughing over something. When they reached the table, Cindy noticed Jazmine. Her smile slipped right off her face.

"Oh." She sat down, Caesar sitting down beside her as well, although much slower. He was obviously looking for some kind of event to unfold. "Hey."

Jazmine nodded towards her, taking another bite of her sandwich. "Hey." She chewed some, then swallowed. The table fell into a tense silence. Huey rested his head in his arms. _Great_. All he needed right now was for Jazmine's passive-aggressiveness and Cindy's…well, _aggressive-_aggressiveness to annoy him more. Jazmine glanced at him, taking a sip of her juice.

"Did you sleep well last night?" She asked. He cracked an eye open, glancing at her and shaking his head.

"Not really."

"Shit, me neither." Caesar snorted. "_Someone _kept me up on the phone all night."

"Boy, boo." Cindy, who still looked slightly irritated, flipped her hair and smirked at him. "You were the one who acted like you didn't know what an 'end' button is."

"Lies."

"Ah!" Maya snapped her fingers, turning towards her best friend. "Amazing set Friday, my Hiro. You did lovely. I didn't get a chance to tell you over the weekend. In fact-" She pointed at him. "Where the hell were you Saturday? I definitely wanted to watch that _CSI: Miami _marathon with sex ass Adam Rodriguez with you."

"Man." Hiro rolled his eyes. "My mom went crazy. She had me searching the entire neighborhood for her cat, Richie? I hate that thing. He peed on my vinyls one day when I was at school."

"Ew!"

"Exactly." He sighed. "Turns out, hours later, we find him under my mom's bed. And _then _she screamed at me for not checking there. I was like "Mom! It was _your _room!" and she got mad." He took a sip of his juice. Riley snorted.

"Damn, nigga." He cackled. "Yo momma mo crooked than a do-it-yoself haircut."

"Shut up!" Hiro shoved him. Maya rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, Hiro," She said, patting his shoulder. "You did good, son."

"You did," Jazmine agreed, chewing. Maya, as well as Hiro and Caesar, stared at her.

"You were at Columbia Friday night?" Hiro asked, sounding surprised. Jazmine nodded.

"Yeah. Darius took me." She smiled. "You're good. I mean, I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were…" She shrugged. "_Good _good."

Hiro laughed, giving her a mock bow. "Why, thank you, my lady."

Maya grinned, glancing towards Jazmine. "Jazmine. Slum Village or A Tribe Called Quest?"

Jazmine made a face. Huey rolled his eyes.

"Maya, come _on_-"

"Neither."

Both of them looked towards the poofy haired mulatto, their jaws slack. "_What_?"

"Neither." She shrugged. "I don't know. They're good, but not my favorite."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Maya threw up her hands. "And who could be better than either one of them?"

Jazmine shifted, swallowing as if she were afraid of giving the wrong answer. "Well," She said slowly. "I remember I used to listen to Huey's CDs since my parents didn't let me get Hip Hop CDs until I was around fourteen. I liked that one Public Enemy one…and Wu Tang Clan?"

Huey and Maya exchanged surprised glances, both of them finally shrugging.

"Wu Tang Clan's good."

"I guess that makes sense…"

Satisfied, Jazmine went back to her sandwich. Cindy snorted. Of course, that got _everyone's _attention, except for Jazmine, who was purposely keeping her eyes on the table in front of her. Huey shook his head.

Passive.

"And what might that noise be for, ice queen?" Maya taunted, rolling her eyes and sounding as if she could care less. Cindy shrugged, her eyes pointedly on Jazmine's bowed head.

"Nothing." She smacked her teeth, shook her head. "Nothing at all."

"Good, then." Maya smirked. "You should learn to control those noises. They aren't very attractive."

"Oh, aren't you funny."

"Pretty much."

"So, _Jazmine_." Cindy glanced towards her "ex" best friend, her eyebrows lifting. "Speaking of Darius…how did your little date go?"

It seemed like it took forever for Jazmine to lift her head.

"It went fine," She replied quietly. Cindy let out a tiny laugh, even though Jazmine hadn't said anything funny.

"You know," She said, tipping her head to the side and examining her. Everyone else looked on. "It's funny how you wanted to worry about _me _dating someone too quick, but you can just go and see whoever you please."

Jazmine's face colored. "It's not like that," She said softly. Huey noticed Maya shoot Jazmine a dirty look in the corner of his eyes. "I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm sorry."

Ah. The apology. Huey shook his head, closing his eyes again. She was always the first one to crack in a confrontation. Always. She was like the Ol' Faithful of arguments. Cindy snorted again.

"You're _sorry_." She drew out the word, making a face. "Of course you are."

"Cindy-" Jazmine started, but Cindy cut her off.

"You said some crappy things to me," She snapped, folding her arms over her chest. Caesar was grimacing beside her. Hiro looked confused. Maya shook her head. "I mean, they kind of hurt. And you're just going to say sorry like it's going to make everything okay?"

"But-"

"You're always _sorry_."

"Cin-"

"Just because you got mad because what I was saying was the truth," Cindy went on, not noticing the way Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "Didn't mean you had turn into such a bitch-"

"Cindy, _shut up_."

Huey's eyes flew open. Caesar's jaw dropped. Hiro's eyes widened and Maya smiled, nodding. Cindy's own eyes narrowed dangerously. Riley held a fist over his mouth.

"Yee, son!"

"What…did you _say_-"

"You heard me." Jazmine's voice, although quiet, was in no way shaky. "You're sitting there whining over something I said, talking about how _you _were saying the truth? Please. Spare me."

Cindy's eyes widened.

"I have not, was not, and _never _will be jealous of you." Jazmine shook her head. "I have better things to do. And if you don't know me well enough to know that then maybe we weren't as good as friends as I liked to believe." She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "I apologized, and I mean it. I'm sorry if you're letting your pride get in the way of forgiving me. I'm not the only one who hurt someone's feelings."

"Oh, don't _give _me that!" Cindy snapped, causing half the courtyard's heads to whip towards them. She stood up, pointing. "You always have to try and look like the victim! All you ever _do _is whine about getting your feelings hurt! It's not anyone's fault that you're so damn mopey-"

"And that's _my _problem to worry about, not your's!" Jazmine shot back, rising to her feet as well, her fists clenching. Huey stared up at her. _Whoa_. "What does that have to do with the fact that you're being so much of a baby that you can't even accept my apology?"

"Because!" Cindy threw up her hands. "What good is it? Maybe I don't want to go back to being friends with a sensitive, depressing, anti-social jerk like _you_!"

The entire courtyard was quiet now. Jazmine's lower lip trembled. Huey thought she was going to cry. And then, she spoke.

"I don't need your damn friendship if you're going to be like that." She snorted, giving Cindy a glance over. "And if I'm that much of a burden to you, then _don't _forgive me. Get a new best friend. Get fifty goddamn best friends for all I care. I happen to _like _who I am." She held up her chin. "Yeah, I don't like partying every weekend and I don't have many friends. I don't wear heels and a bunch of makeup, and I'd much rather read a book or hang out and do what I want to do than go on a date. But you know what?" She leaned forward. "I just don't _give _a fuck."

A few people gasped, followed by a little bit of laughter. Beside him, Huey saw Maya practically laughing. Riley was probably laughing the loudest, by far. Cindy blinked, surprised. Then, her eyes narrowed even more.

"_Fine_." She shook her head. "Whatever, Jazmine. You stand up there with your cute words and your little scowl, but you ain't gon do shit."

Jazmine put a hand on her hip. "Ex_cuse _me?"

Cindy leaned forward as well, her nose inches from Jazmine's. "I said," She said in a low, dangerous voice. "You ain't. Gonna. Do. Shit. You know why?" She shrugged. "Because you're a doormat. Because you let people walk all over you. I never took you for granted and you just shit all over our friendship. You're whiny and wimpy and you ain't got _nothing_ except for a bunch of words you probably rehearsed in an attempt to look tough." She smirked at Jazmine's expression. "Whatchu gon do? I hurt your feelings? You gon cry about it?"

Huey watched Jazmine blink. He knew for a fact that Cindy was merely running off at the mouth, that when she got angry she said things just to hurt people as a defense mechanism. He could read that, easy. She just happened to have unleashed her wrath on probably the most sensitive person in Maryland, which was kind of foul.

Jazmine leaned back slightly as if she'd been slapped. She looked at her best friend with a sad expression, shaking her head. And then, her eyes hardened.

Before anyone could react, she grabbed Maya's soda and reached forward. And Huey, along with the rest of the perplexed courtyard, got to witness as Jazmine tugged the collar to Cindy's shirt open, dumped the contents down her shirt, and slammed the can down to the table, her eyes cold. Jazmine, the sweet, innocent girl, gave Cindy, the aggressive, challenging alpha female of Ed Wuncler Senior High, a cold look. She released Cindy's collar, then shrugged.

She _shrugged_.

"Whoops." She didn't sound too sorry. She glanced at Cindy's face. "You can take your narcissist, heel wearing, shit talking self somewhere, and shove that friendship up your ass." Jazmine scowled, grabbing her purse. "I don't need you putting me down. I don't need _you. _I'm done." She pushed her palms off the table, storming towards the double doors that led back into the cafeteria. Cindy stood there motionless, staring down at her shirt. She was in shellshock. Maya clapped her hands, laughing.

"Alright, Jazmine." Maya shrugged, glancing at Cindy with mock sympathy. "So, you mad. What?" She leaned forward, imitating Cindy's previous words perfectly. "You gon go cry about it?"

Cindy slowly sat back down, dabbing her shirt with a napkin. She swallowed, her eyes surprisingly filling with tears. Beside her, Caesar looked torn between wanting to help her and wanting to laugh. Huey sat back, shaking his head. He felt…

Well…impressed.

Passive Jazmine had obviously left the building.

---

_January 1, 1921_

_Tonight was the first New Years I did not spend by myself or with my mother._

_It was very unnerving. Of course, the entire city of New Orleans seemed to be out celebrating it. There was live music and dancing everywhere, with bright lights strung up through the streets. I did not see what the big deal was but it must have just been me. Despite the prohibition on alcohol it was almost all I saw the entire evening, other than people dancing and running through the streets. I watched the scene from inside my apartment, the window open so that the sounds of the live jazz music, my favorite, floated through my dimly lit room. _

_I have never been much of a people person, and I had no intentions to go out and celebrate the arrival of a new year. Of course, my plans were completely altered. _

_I was standing at the window, staring down into the crowd and enjoying witnessing it with the benefits of not having to be out in it when I heard a knock on my door. So, imagine my surprise when I opened it to see Matthew standing there, his coat slung over his shoulder and his expression filled with that look he got when he had a trick up his sleeve. He glanced past me, his nose wrinkling._

_"Why the hell is it so dark in here?"_

_I had shaken my head, my hands on the door. "I prefer a quiet celebration to bring in the New Year, thank you very much." I gave him a look. "And watch your language."_

_He let out a low whistle, shaking his head and ignoring me. "Seems a bit dull to me."_

_I had given him a look. "Do you not have friends who you can go spend your leisure time with?"_

_"On the contraire I do, Ms. James." He smirked as I scowled. "As a matter of fact, I am in need of your services."_

_My eyebrow rose up. "You need me to sew something at this hour?"_

_"No." He adjusted his hat. "I need someone to accompany me out tonight. Otherwise, I lose twenty dollars." He shook his head. "I do not know why I continue to bet. I never win."_

_"You need my…services." My face must have been strange because he gave me a look, his own face coloring._

_"Not like _that_." He shook his head. "For god sake's, Anya. You have a horrible mind sometimes."_

_"I did not say anything!"_

_"You did not have to." He rolled his eyes. "Like I was saying, I am supposed to be meeting a few of my friends by the boathouse shortly, and because of my lack of friends that happen to be women, I appear to be dateless."_

_My eyebrow _really _lifted at that one. "You want me…to be your date."_

_"In a completely platonic sense," He added quickly. "It is more of an if-I-do-not-show-up-with-a-woman-in-tow-I-will-lose-the-bet situation. On top of that, I do not want to be the only one who is by himself."_

_"Ah." I had nodded. "Well, when you put it that way…"_

_I slammed the door in his face. After a few seconds of what I presumed to be a shocked silence, he knocked._

_"Anya! Come on!"_

_"You come on!" I yelled. "What, I am some last resort?"_

_"No!" He yelled back, groaning. "You are the _only _one I considered. If I were to take anyone I would be bored stiff. Not to mention," He added. "I do not know another woman as nearly as smart as you. I would have to dumb myself down for the rest of the evening, and to be frank I just do not have the patience for ignorance."_

_"What will your friends say about your female companion being a passé blanc?" I argued, crossing my arms over my chest. I heard him sigh loudly._

_"Who cares what they say?"_

_I thought about it, glancing around my cozy apartment. Was it really too much to ask to be able to stay and watch the beautiful view?_

_"Anya!" I had heard him yell again._

_Apparently, it was. I had finally sighed, opening the door again and rolling my own eyes._

_"Fine." I tossed my hair back, giving him a severe look. "However, there are conditions."_

_He nodded. "Perfectly understandable."_

_I nodded as well, putting my hand on my hip. "For one, you are not actually courting me."_

_"Of _course _not." He had waved his hand. "Carry on."_

_I ticked off the next condition on my finger. "Two, I do not want any part in alcohol. I do not drink. It makes the smartest of men complete fools. I will not have any."_

_"I would not dream of it."_

_I gave him a look. "Are you taking me seriously?"_

_He nodded._

_"Good. Three." I dropped my hands. "I do not dance."_

_He looked mildly disappointed at that. "Really?"_

_"Really." I shook my head. "I will not look like a fool in the midst of strangers. I will not look like a fool even in front of people I know. Me dancing would be ghastly."_

_"Have you tried?" He suddenly asked, making me pause. My mouth hung open before I remembered how unladylike it was, and then I closed it."_

_"Well…I have not." I had faltered. "But-"_

_"Then you must try."_

_"Matthew, no."_

_"Yes."_

_"No."_

_"Just try?"_

_"I will not."_

_"I will pay you."_

_"I cannot be bought by your money."_

_"Of course you cannot." He had rolled his eyes. "Fine, Anya. I will accept that, only because I am sure you will change your mind."_

_I had lifted my chin. "I hardly doubt that."_

_Of course, I turned out to be wrong. When I finally (albeit reluctantly) got changed and managed to look decent and we made it to the boathouse, I could see that there were a lot more people, all of them colored. Not only that, but the music was much better, the dancing was much more prominent, and everyone was a lot more friendly. I had to admit, it was a bit exciting._

_I even met some of Matthew's friends (a bit of a relief; all the time he was spending with me I was beginning to fear him to be some sort of social outcast who had nothing better to do than prey on younger women) who were all funny, sophisticated, charming, and nice. Then again he was friends with them, so I do not know why I had expected any differently. While everyone danced, I ended up sitting with the wife of one of his friends, a pretty woman with short hair named Odette. When she asked me why I was not dancing I told her I did not, and to my relief she did not have anything negative to say._

_"My husband is not the best dancer, either," She had said, winking at me. "Sometimes he tries and I do nothing but laugh. He tries to impress me but we're from completely different eras, so I just tell him to let it go-"_

_"Excuse me," I interrupted politely. "If you do not mind me asking…how old is he?"_

_"Oh!" Odette waved her hand. "It is of no importance. He is forty six."_

_"Oh." I did not say anything else. She leaned forward, taking my hand and giving me a knowing look._

_"I am but twenty seven."_

_I felt my eyes widened. She laughed, shaking her head._

_"Always the same reaction." She swept her hand around her, holding a bottle of alcohol and grinning. "People see it as a gap, but it does not matter to us. We have been together since I was twenty." She shrugged. "I do not care what these people think. They do not know me. They do not know our hearts. We only have one life to live. I will not let a silly factor such as age hinder me."_

_My eyes happened to flicker towards Matthew, who was talking to a few other men, laughing at something. "I do not know if I can see eye to eye with you."_

_"Of course you can." She gestured to me. "You are with Matthew, and you are certainly not above twenty two."_

_"I am eighteen."_

_"Eighteen." She nodded, stroking her chin. "You are a mature eighteen. You speak like you have been of this earth for over a century."_

_I had laughed at that. Her brows had slightly lifted._

_"I do believe," She said with a smirk, her brown eyes lit. "That I have not seen him as happy as he is tonight."_

_I had snorted. "It must be the alcohol."_

_She had laughed, resting her hand on my knee. "It is certainly not the alcohol, my dear," She said softly. The music changed and I looked up just as he glanced towards us, and our eyes connected._

_And then, my heart, it did the oddest thing. It stopped. For a moment I thought I was having a stroke. Then, I slowly turned towards Odette, who was giving me a knowing look._

_"That," I breathed. "Would be impossible."_

_She shook her head. "With love, nothing is impossible." No sooner after the words left her mouth Matthew himself was coming up, extending his hand."_

_"I understand that you were adamant about your third condition," He said, his eyes light. "But you must dance with me. For this song."_

_"But-" I had started, only to stop when he gave me a look._

_"One song." He had glanced to Odette. "Help me here, Odie."_

_She had thrown up her hands, grinning towards me. "Please, do. So he can stop whining about it." He shot her a dirty look._

_I had frowned before sighing, taking his hand. "Fine. I suppose."_

_When we had walked near the center of the other dancing pairs he took one of my hands in his own, placing his other hand on my waist. "I will lead," He declared. I had rolled my eyes._

_"I do not even know what that _means_." He had only laughed when I said that, which for some odd reason made me laugh as well. Then, we were dancing._

_Or, at least I had tried. I must have tread his foot a good half a dozen times before I got the hang of it, and I was finally able to keep up, feeling a lot less stupid. _

_"Are you glad you came?" He asked, twirling me around once and making me laugh. "Or do you wish I had left you in that dark apartment of yours?"_

_"I _suppose _I made the right decision!" I yelled sarcastically over the music and the other voices. He shook his head, smirking._

_"You are impossible."_

_I had shrugged. Of course, by the time I got used to dancing, it had been over. I sat back down on the crate in front of Odette, who clapped softly. I gave her a mock bow._

_"That was not awful at all." She had taken two shot glasses filled with a ginger colored liquid from a passerby and held one out towards me. "Here."_

_"Oh, no." I shook my head. "I am fine. Really."_

_"Ah!" Two of Matthew's friends, a couple of his apprentices, sat down beside each of us, holding bottles and glasses of their own. "We have found us two beautiful drinking partners!"_

_"Oh, god no," I said, resting a hand on my chest. "I could not possibly-"_

_"We will take you on." Odette grinned, handing me a shot as the men cheered, pouring themselves glasses. "To the New Year!"_

_To the New Year!" They all choruses, clinking glasses. I managed to catch on and clink mine against theirs as well, watching them all down their shots in one swallow and slam them down on a crate, laughing. They all glanced to me. I hesitantly lifted the glass to my lips, tilting my head back and downing it in a few swallows. I set mine down, coughing._

_"Holy-" I had to catch myself. They all laughed. I felt my face color, especially when they began to pour more. "What _is _this?"_

_"The best Whiskey Louisiana has to offer!" One of the apprentices shouted, pouring me another shot. "There is no way in hell we are going to let this go to waste, not when so many people cannot get to it-"_

_"Jacob! Language!" Odette scolded. "Do not forget, there are women in your presence."_

_"Of course." He nodded. "My apologies." He raised his glass. "To…apologies!"_

_"Apologies!" They all shouted._

_"Apologies!" I shouted late, causing them to laugh. I downed the drink, noticing how it went down a lot easier and how…well…floaty I was beginning to feel. "Wow. This is great!"_

_Odette laughed, accepting another shot. "Just make sure you leave with who you came with, honey."_

_"Oh, we will look out for her," Jacob had reassured us. "To…looking out for one another!"_

_"Um..what he said!" The other apprentice shouted. We all laughed, drinking again._

_A good twenty minutes later I could not even remember how many we had drank. All I knew was that everything was all colorful, not to mention spinny. And everything Odette and the other two were saying was so damn _funny_. We were all laughing at each other for laughing for no reason when Matthew came again, his eyebrow raised. He spotted the empty bottles and sighed, shaking his head._

_"Someone is breaking all of their own rules tonight."_

_"You…did not tell me…how amazing alcohol is," I scolded, pointing at him. "I cannot believe you."_

_"Anya." He suddenly moved my hand. "I am not over there. I am right here."_

_The others laughed, practically falling off of their crates. He shook his head, amused. I pouted._

_"Well…wait." I was completely confused. "What happened?"_

_"I do not know!" Odette laughed. Jason pointed towards Matthew._

_"Boss!" He yelled, grinning. "Your date is, I believe, the most beautiful woman in New Orleans. Maybe in all of Louisiana." He swayed. "I do believe if you do not marry her soon, I will beat you to it."_

_My face grew hot. Matthew shook his head. _

_"I doubt you would be able to ask her hand if you are so intoxicated you do not remember her tomorrow."_

_"HA!" The other apprentice cackled. Odette laughed as well. _

_"Are you ready to go?" He asked. I stood up, rocking forward and catching onto his arm to keep my balance. On my feet, I felt a bit more aware._

_"Well." I shook my hair out of my face. "This is a bit embarrassing."_

_"Do not worry." He waved a farewell to the others, letting me use his arm for support as we started for my home. "The others are all so drunk they will be doing worse than stumbling tonight."_

_I laughed. "You did not drink?"_

_He snorted. "I do not drink when I am with someone. Otherwise, both of us would be done for."_

_"You drink when you go somewhere alone?" I asked, staring up at him. He nodded. My jaw dropped._

_"That is so sweet!" I hugged his arm, closing my eyes. "How considerate."_

_"It is not considerate." He had shaken his head. "It is the right thing to do."_

_"It," I replied. "Is sweet. I do not care what you say. Although, I do wish my head were not so clouded."_

_"I will hate to see how you feel in the morning."_

_I had frowned. "Why do you say that?"_

_He had shaken his head. "You will see."_

_I had shrugged, resting my head on his forearm as we continued to walk. When we were near my house, I suddenly looked up._

_"Look!"_

_It was fireworks. I had seen them before, but never had I been so close. And never had they been so beautiful. He nodded, stopping so that we could both stare up at them._

_"It is officially the new year." He looked down at me. "How do you feel?"_

_I beamed up at him. "I feel so happy I could die," I breathed, staring away to look back up at the lights. He nodded, his arm wrapping around my shoulders._

_"I am glad."_

_I rested my hand on his, staring up at him. For a moment we just looked at each other. Then, in unison, we each took a step away from each other. At least, he did. I more like stumbled, then fell to the ground. He crouched down beside me, his eyes filled with concern, but I was laughing. He rolled his eyes._

_"Graceful."_

_"Hush." I waved my hand at him, taking in the way that the fireworks lit up his face. "You know," I suddenly said. "You are very beautiful."_

_He shook his head. "And you are very drunk."_

_"Even when I'm _not _intoxicated," I replied, resting my palms on the ground beside me. "I think of how handsome you are. I dream of you. I have to stop myself from slipping up and admitting how glad I am that you are around." I giggled, clapping my hands over my mouth. "Whoops!"_

_He gave me a wary look. "You do not realize what you are saying."_

_"Noooo." I nodded earnestly, laughing at how the words felt, finally leaving my mouth. "I do! I tried not to feel anything for so long, but then I was talking to Odette-"_

_"Goodness. That is never a good thing."_

_"-and her husband is nineteen years to her senior!" I let out. "And it does not matter, really."_

_"Anya-"_

_"It does not matter to me."_

_"You are too young."_

_"I am mature for my age!"_

_"Until someone gives you a bottle."_

_I glared at him. He blinked back, his face calm._

_"I am quite confident you will not even remember this conversation come tomorrow," He had said, shaking his head. "Even if you do, you will realize how irrational you are sounding." I frowned. _

_"You said," I had said, lifting my chin and trying to clear my groggy mind. "That I need a great deal more than I think. And I said that I did not need a man. I do not need you." My eyes narrowed. "But I do want you."_

_His eyes widened. I drew in a large breath._

_"Because, you see, Matthew, I lo-"_

_"And that's enough of that." He covered my mouth with his hand, shaking his head. "Honestly, Anya. No wonder you do not drink. Your mouth is like a constantly running fountain."_

_"But-" I managed, my voice muffled. He lifted his hand and helped me to my feet, giving me a look._

_"No more."_

_"But-"_

_"No. More." He rolled his eyes. "There is no need to carry on about things you do not understand."_

_"Hey!" We had somehow started walking again and I could now see my apartment. "You do not know what I understand! You do not know how I feel!"_

_"You do not even know how you feel," He said back, his hands on my shoulders as he steered me towards the door. "I am noticing that emotions are not your strong suit."_

_I felt my face crumple. "You do not care for me."_

_He sighed. "Perhaps if you were older. Maybe if I were younger." He guided me up the stairs to my second floor apartment. "There are plenty of respectable men in New Orleans, Anya. They will be happy to have you."_

_I frowned as we reached my front door and he unlocked it, handing me my key and giving me a gentle push inside. "I do thank you for your company," He said, nodding and giving a slight bow. I nodded, feeling my eyes welling up. His own eyes widened._

_"Are you…are you crying?"_

_"No." I closed my eyes, my tone haughty. "Well, yes. I am crying from joy. Because I am so happy that it is a New Year and I am overjoyed to be alive."_

_He had looked doubtful but nodded regardless, turning on his heel. "I will check on you tomorrow and see just how overjoyed you are to be alive then." _

_I wiped the corner of my eye, nodding and turning away, my hand on the door. Just as I went to close it, he stuck his foot in the way. I gave him a look._

_"May I ask what you are doing?"_

_He rolled his eyes, leaning forward and kissing my cheek. He back away, turning around again and tipping off his hat._

_"Happy New Year, Anya."_

_I watched him go down the stairs, my eyes wide. I let my hand find my cheek, my face red._

_"Happy New Year, Matthew," I had whispered, closing the door. As soon as I did I ran to write all this down before I forgot it. I have finally finished, and can now rest. Thank goodness. My head is starting to hurt. Not to mention, my stomach is a bit uneasy…_

_Great._

_---_

Thanks to Jazmine discovering a copy of the Freeman family tree in her attic (he had no idea how it had gotten there, but whatever), his genealogy report was basically finished.

He yawned, stretching and glancing at the clock. _11:23 _pm. While that was nowhere close to being late for most people, he was usually in the bed sometime between ten thirty and eleven. He woke up early! What the hell was he going to stay up for?

He glanced over the tree, which went all the way to his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. Wow. The last member who was on it was Anthony David Freeman, the son of Matthew Russell Freeman and Ayana Rochelle Thompson. He started to put it down, only he happened to notice small scrawl on the bottom corner, a writing that was mostly faded, yet somewhat legible. He turned the page over, holding it up so that the light could illuminate it.

It looked as if it were written in old French, Cajun to be exact. He rolled his eyes, opening his laptop and using the search engine to find a translator. When he did, he typed the words in, pressing enter and blinking as the screen refreshed, the words translating into perfect English.

_'In another life.'_

His eyes narrowed. What the hell did that mean? He shrugged, folding it up and setting it aside, closing his laptop and putting it on his dresser. As he passed the window he happened to see Jazmine sitting at hers, looking out. They noticed each other at the same time. He felt his face grow warm.

He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about what had happened at lunch earlier that day. He had to finish a test after school and she had caught a ride home with Caesar and Maya. While he didn't think dumping a soda on someone was the best way to get a point across, he couldn't help but be impressed that she actually had a backbone. He blinked at her, then nodded. She gave him a small wave before moving away from the window. Her light cut off. He closed his blinds, flopping on the bed and doing the same with his own light. He rolled on his back.

The last time he'd seen her at her window he hadn't thought twice about it. Now he could barely think of anything else. He stared at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. He let his eyes drift shut.

He couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking about him as well.

* * *

Denial for the win. Thanks for reading! Hopefully this will at least tie you over for what comes next...dun dun dun. :P

-Kelsey


	13. The Truth About Life

Oh, my god. This chapter was such a headache. There were just too many ways I could have made certain things go and it was...ugh. I literally deleted this chapter three times. So, I basically wrote four chapters in the past few days and this is the one that made the cut. Do I like it? Not really. Does it serve its purpose? I sure as hell hope so.

Ummmmm thank you to BabiiD0ll8o8, MzMinni3, MizzC, Leka10, and insert psuedonym for the reviews! Heaven knows that's the only reason I updated this chapter. LOL.

Luckily, the rest won't be nearly as (stupid/hard/annoying) to do. Oh, and there aren't too many secondary characters in this one either. And there's no Riley. Sorry, but he wasn't needed. So, don't say i didn't warn you.

:looks at all the death glares she's getting: Yeesh, calm down. I mean, I _am _planning a story for him, so quit your whinning-

Whoops. Did I admit that? ;)

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks is STILL not mine. You know, just like it hasn't been mine all these other times._

* * *

The Truth About Life

_January 1, 1921_

_While I understand that it is a bad thing to hide from one's feelings, it suited me well enough to the point where I did not leave my apartment._

_Really, it was my business and my business alone if I wanted to hide out. It was my apartment. I paid my rent. So there was no reason for him to come and act like I was being a baby. Even if…well, I was._

_When I heard the knocking at the door, I knew for a fact it was him. I rested my chin on my knee, staring ahead and pretending that I did not hear him. Naturally, the knocking persisted._

_"No one is here," I mumbled sarcastically, wrapping my arms around my knees. I could hear something jiggling in the door handle and looked up as the door opened, Matthew stepping in. My eyebrow rose._

_"How on earth did you get in here?"_

_He rolled his eyes, jabbing his thumb towards the doorknob. "You could pick that lock with anything."_

_Well. That was comforting to know. He stopped beside the sofa, staring down at me._

_"Could I possibly sit here?" He had asked. I shrugged._

_"Does my response really matter?"_

_He had snorted, settling down beside me. "Of course not." I had rolled my eyes, staring down at the floor. "It is a bit of relief to see the sarcasm making an appearance again. Surely you are sober this time."_

_"You are not funny," I mumbled. "I specifically said I would not drink and wound up doing it. I was foolish."_

_"You were not." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You were living in the moment." I glanced towards him. "It is a tragedy that it takes alcohol to make you do so."_

_"So much for the moment." I had shaken my head. "I cannot even remember it."_

_He had eyed me. "You remember nothing?"_

_I had shrugged. "I remember vomit. A lot…and a lot more…of vomit."_

_He had shaken his head, sighing. "Well. I thought you had been avoiding me."_

_I had given him a look. "Of course I was." His head whipped towards me. "I did not know if I had embarrassed you."_

_"And you would embarrass me because…" He let his words trail off. I shrugged again, looking straight ahead._

_"Well, I was sure that I somehow acted immaturely that night," I admitted. "I do not remember most of it, but that is never a good thing. I did not know if I behaved foolishly or not." I looked at him. "Did I?"_

_He seemed to pause. After a moment he shook his head._

_"No. You did not."_

_I had sighed, relieved. "That is good to know." I had smiled. "I would hate to say something I would later regret. After all, it is often said that drunken words are sober thoughts."_

_He made a face. "Yes. That is usually the case." He shrugged, staring at me. "Why were you afraid that you said something you would regret? Is there something you _do _feel the need to mention?"_

_Well, that question had made me feel as if I were going to go into cardiac arrest. I had to glance away and take a deep breath. After all, I could never tell him about these odd…feelings I had. I was confident that they were unrequited. And I did not want to strain our friendship, as strange of one as it was. I shook my head._

_"No. I do not."_

_He blinked at me before rising to his feet, stretching. "Well. I am glad you are better now."_

_I gave him a look as he head towards the door. "Would you like some tea?"_

_He shook his head, offering me a smile that did not meet his eyes. "I have some errands to run. But I appreciate the offer."_

_"Oh. Alright." I nodded towards him as he shut the door behind him, not being able to help but frown. For some reason it had felt as if he had not been pleased with my response._

_It was as if I had answered him wrong._

_---_

"I hate my life."

Huey and Jazmine watched curiously as Hiro banged his head repeatedly on his desk, letting out muffled moaning sounds. Jazmine glanced towards her partner, who gave her a look as well.

"Maybe…we should stop him?" She asked as Hiro's head-desk antics began to attract the attention of bordering groups. Huey reached over, pulling up his friend by the base of his collar and rolling his eyes.

"Man, calm down. It is _not _that bad." He peered at the first page of this thick packet that the class had been assigned mere minutes before, his forehead scrunching in confusion. "I mean it's obvious…this symbol…" He shook his head, sighing and dropping the packet back down to his desk. "Oh, fuck this."

"No, it's not that hard, really." Jazmine picked up her own copy of the packet, a good portion of the first page already completed. "The formulas for sample mean, sample variance, and sample correlation coefficient obviously assume simple random sampling. And we already know that sample random sampling problems have key properties in identifying them, such as the population of N consisting of N objects, the sample possesses n objects, and the fact that all possible samples of N have an equal chance of occurring." She gave them a smile. "So, see? It's not too bad."

Huey and Hiro blinked. Hiro resumed banging his head on the desk while Huey slapped his palm over his face, shaking his head.

"What?"

She sighed, holding up her paper and pencil, scooting closer to him so that he could glimpse at the page. "See?" She pointed to one of the problems. "Now, this one's going to need one of the random sampling formulas to be applied to it because…"

Oh, no. He was _doing _it again. Huey had to try and focus on what she was saying just so his mind wouldn't start wandering. Hiro had stopped headbashing himself to sit up and listen to Jazmine as well as she attempted to explain their Statistics assignment to them. Huey rested his elbow on his desk and his chin in his hand.

Jazmine was now writing something on his own paper, her tiny, neat handwriting the exact opposite to his own illegible writing. Her green eyes were lit up as if math was her favorite thing ever invented (oh, wait. It was), her straightened strawberry blond hair falling over her shoulders and almost covering one of her eyes. Her lips were moving, but he wasn't even paying any attention to what was coming out of them.

The oddest thing had happened to him, after lunch. He'd been walking with Maya and Caesar to his locker, and the next thing he knew Caesar had left to go meet Cindy. That wasn't the odd part, of course. The odd part was when Maya had suddenly turned to him after a debate they'd been having over the significance of high school relationships and had said:

_"I think we should try it. I think we should try being more than friends."_

The words replayed over and over in his head. He usually knew what to do for any situation but he'd been completely blindsided by this one. Maya's proposal had left him in complete shock.

Not because of how absurd of an idea it was, no. It was because of how absurd it had been for him to suddenly have to rethink it.

If she'd asked him a mere few weeks ago, maybe during the summer…hell, maybe even the first few days of school, then he would have said yes. No doubt about it. In the summer there had just been them. But now, now things were different. There was another factor that had come into the equation, a completely unexpected one. And she was sitting less than a foot away from him, her hair lightly brushing his hand and her knee slightly bumping his whenever she leaned forward to tap the paper in order to make a point.

He didn't like to admit it, but he wasn't one who believed in lying to himself.

_"I'll think about it and get back to you, okay?"_

That was what he had said. Not yes. Not _no_. She'd looked surprised, as if she had _known _he'd say yes. Nonetheless she'd accepted it, offering him a smile and telling him to just let her know his decision before walking off.

_"That's fine," _She'd said, shrugging after the initial surprise wore off. _"You just think about it."_

Oh, he was thinking about it alright.

"Huey?" Jazmine's sharp tone suddenly had him blinking, finally zeroing in on her wary expression. She frowned. "Were you listening to a word I just said?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "No."

Jazmine pursed her lips, giving him a sharp glare. "Do you want me to explain it again?" She asked grudgingly. He stared to reply, but then the bell was ringing and everyone was getting out of their seats, pushing their desks back to their regular spots and leaving the classroom.

"I want these packets done by Friday!" The teacher yelled, triggering a series of groans from the entire class. "Want to complain? In that case, make it Thursday!"

"Aw, come on!" Hiro complained, throwing up his arms. He grabbed his own backpack, shaking his head. "I'm going to fail." He snorted. "I'm going to be the first Asian to ever fail math. I can't even bring myself to _care _anymore."

"Relax. I'll help you with it at lunch tomorrow if you want," Jazmine offered, standing up herself. "Or how about in Anatomy tomorrow morning?"

Hiro sighed, giving her a smile. "I am so glad we're lab partners." He picked up his backpack. "If you weren't in this class I'm pretty sure I'd fail. You're like, a math guru."

Jazmine rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. A guru." When Hiro rushed out the classroom Jazmine turned to Huey. "Do you want me to help you during Economics if we get any free time?"

"Um…yeah."

She nodded, picking up her books and starting for the door. "Okay. Want to walk with me to class?"

He shrugged, following her. "Whatever."

"So," Jazmine started as they walked down the crowded hallway. "If you don't mind me being nosy-"

"I do."

"Well, _too bad_." She shrugged, giving him a look. "You seemed pretty distracted. What's up?"

Since when was Jazmine observant? He gave her an incredulous look. She caught it and frowned.

"I was just wondering. You don't have to tell me or anything-"

"It's nothing." He shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

There was no use in telling her about it. Not when she was unintentionally the center of the problem.

---

_April 7, 1921_

_I have realized that I have been neglecting my writings. I cannot help it. With the rise of work I have gotten since the start of the New Year I just have not found the free time. I am only writing today because…well, this just needs to be written._

_Before today, things were normal. I am working, I continued to visit my mother's gravesite every week, I continued to be friends with Matthew. I even took his advice and began to go on the occasional outing with men, none that could hold my attention for too long. I continue to help the lost souls who come to me in need of it. I have my visions. Like I said, it has been normal._

_And then, I decided to re-read my diary. And came across January 1, 1921_

_I had promptly stomped out the apartment, this very book in my hand, storming down the steps and bursting into the surprisingly chilly air. I had made my way through the street, making it to his shop within minutes. He looked up, noticed my expression, and automatically looked wary._

_"What in the world happened to you?" He had asked, putting down his hammer and giving me a concerned look. I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at him and holding up the book._

_"You did _not _tell me," I said in a very un-ladylike tone. "What I said to you on New Year's Eve."_

_He looked genuinely confused. "You…said a lot of things on New Year's Eve. You say a lot of things in general." He smirked. "I do not know if you are aware of this, but you are quite the talker."_

_"I do not mean the typical talking I do!" I yelled, making him frown. "I meant the part where I said-" I had cut off, taking a deep breath. It was a very odd thing to do, talk about one's feelings. "Why did you not tell me what I said to you about being in…" I could not even finish it. Recognition was dawning in his wine colored eyes. "Forget it." I had spun on my heel, tucking my hands in the pockets of my coat and stalking away. I heard him coming after me, which only served to make me speed up. Of course, since I was over a head shorter than him, it did not do much of anything._

_"Let me try to fathom this situation." Matthew was giving me an odd look. "You are angry because I did not tell you about your drunken declaration of your feelings."_

_"Yes!" I wheeled around. "I specifically asked you if I said anything and-"_

_"_No_." His words were firm, his own eyes narrowing. "You asked me if you behaved in a foolish manner, which I replied that you did not."_

_"So you lied!"_

_"There is nothing foolish about saying how you feel!" He shouted back, surprising me. He was not one to yell, even when I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I set my jaw._

_"I do not feel that way."_

_He snorted. "You could have fooled me."_

_I gave him a look, my mouth hanging open. I closed it, shaking my head._

_"So, is _that _why you have been keeping me around so long?" I asked him angrily. He looked puzzled all over again. "Because you feel sorry for me?"_

_"What? No!"_

_"Because you think I could not handle your rejection?"_

_"Anya, _no_-"_

_"Because I do not feel that way!" I shouted, feeling completely mortified as tears filled my eyes. Even Matthew looked surprised. "And even if I did, which I _do not_, I would be perfectly capable of accepting your rejection! I do not need sympathy from some-"_

_He had grabbed my arm, dragging me behind a building against my protests. He let me go, giving me a look._

_"Could you be any _louder_?" When I had taken a deep breath in response, preparing to show him just how loud I could be, he shook his head and waved his hands. "I believe you."_

_I shut my mouth, glaring. He sighed._

_"I did not mention it because I did not know if you would be comfortable with me knowing about it," He said calmly. "I did not want you to feel uncomfortable."_

_"Why would I feel uncomfortable if I do not feel that way in the first place?" I asked, lifting my chin. He snorted._

_"Drunken words are sober thoughts." He gave me a look. "You are the one who said that."_

_I felt my face heat up and narrowed my eyes. "Well." I stopped, clearing my throat. "While I will not deny that I have felt a certain…attraction towards you-" I stopped, thinking of the right words to say. "I do believe the word love was a bit strong."_

_He smirked. I gave him a dirty look._

_"It is not funny."_

_"Oh, it is funny." He shrugged. "It is funny what denial does to people."_

_My eyes widened. And then I was shaking my head, turning on my heel and stalking down the street all over again. Within moments he was by my side again, annoyed._

_"What _now_?" I did not answer him. "Oh, come on." When I did not heed him he sighed. "Anya, wait."_

_"Why should I?" I had whirled around, wiping my eyes. "I was so _stupid_."_

_Matthew's brow knotted together. "Stupid?"_

_"I was so stupid believing that getting close to you would be okay!" I had shouted, albeit it was significantly lower than before. Not to mention there were less people around. "The way I feel towards you…I'm not supposed to feel that way!" I turned around, walking off again._

_"You cannot choose who you fall for," He replied mildly, as if trying to spare my feelings._

_"Easy for you to say!" I had not even ceased my fast paced walking. "It is just so simple to reject the eighteen year old, right? I can see you now." I did not even know what I was babbling on about, but I could not stop myself. "I can see you and your apprentices, sitting around drinking a bear and poking fun at my expense. "Stupid Anya," you probably all say. "How can you _stand _that little girl?"-"_

_"Do you even hear yourself right now?" He had asked, throwing up his hands. "That is absolutely ridiculous-"_

_"What is ridiculous," I shot back. "Is that you do not think I am strong enough to handle unrequited feelings." I rolled my eyes and threw up my own hands, letting them fall to my sides. "You are right. I was not merely spouting off at the mouth. I love you, alright?" I spun around, not even waiting to see his reaction. He caught my shoulder, dragging me back._

_"Can you _stop that?" _He had asked in an irritated voice. "How the hell is anyone supposed to talk to you when you continuously walk away from them? Anya, listen-"_

_"No!" I shook him off. "You have made it perfectly clear that I am not right for you. And you are _right_. You are over twenty years my senior. I am some eighteen-year-old orphan who-" My voice started choking up and I turned away, shaking my head and starting down the street again. "I am not…I have to go-"_

_"You do not." He sided up to me again, shaking his head and giving me a severe look. I glared back, despite my tears. After a few seconds he sighed, his eyes softening. He closed them, shaking his head again._

_"I have tried." His voice was quiet. "I have tried so hard, after all these months, to remind myself why being with you would be wrong."_

_I swallowed, lifting my chin. "And?"_

_He had shrugged, glancing towards me. "I am running out of reasons."_

_I could feel the wariness creeping into my expression. I could feel my face growing warm._

_"You are beautiful," He said softly, his eyes never leaving mine. "You are mature beyond your years. But you are hard to get to know. We have been in acquaintance for just under a year and I sometimes feel that I do not know any more than when you were just the woman staring at me from out her window." I had frowned. "It is as if a part of you is completely hiding from me. You are difficult to understand and even harder to trust. I do not trust everyone."_

_"I do not trust anyone," I had said carefully, my eyes narrowed. He snorted._

_"That is the problem." He shrugged. "You are difficult to trust, but I do. I need you to do the same for me."_

_I shook my head. He sighed._

_"Anya."_

_"I cannot."_

_"You can."_

_I gave him a look. "I have never felt this way about anyone," I had confessed. "And it terrifies me. I make a point not to feel this way and the next thing I know you come along and-" I stopped, sighing myself. "It would be so much easier if you hated me."_

_"I could not hate you." He shook his head. "Ever."_

_I stared down at the ground. After a few moments of tense silence, he spoke._

_"I think you need time." He was quiet again. "You need time to figure out if this…if _I_…am who you really want." I started to talk but he shook his head. "I believe that if we were to try…courting…that it should be when you are older."_

_"Older." I hated how the word felt on my tongue. "Older as in…"_

_"Older." He nodded. "As in twenty."_

_Twenty. Twenty was a year and a quarter away. I wanted to protest, but I was in such shock that we were even having this conversation that I just stood there._

_"That way," He had gone on. "If you find someone else, or change your mind, then it will not be a problem. There are so many different men for you to choose from. And you are so young…"_

_I did not say anything. He gave me a look. When I felt his eyes on me I sighed, lifting my head._

_"Twenty." My voice was weak. "What if you have found someone else by twenty?"_

_He took my hand, practically laughing at me. "I will not. I will wait." He placed his index finger underneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him when I frowned at the ground. "I promise."_

_I scoffed. "I do not believe in promises."_

_He let me go, shaking his head. "Then do not believe in it," He said bluntly, making my eyebrows rise. "Believe in me."_

_I bit my lip, nodding. "Twenty." I sighed. "Alright."_

_And with that, I had turned around, walking away. This time, he did not follow._

_I wonder if we will be the same as we were before. I doubt it. It is good, in a way. That way I can focus on other things. Such as keeping my job. Keeping my secret. Keeping myself together._

_I tell myself that it is over, despite what he promised me. I cannot help but know that over is far from what this truly is._

_---_

It was Tuesday night and she probably should have been home by then, but she just didn't feel like she could stand being in the house one more moment.

Jazmine sat with her knees to her chest, staring at the night sky. Her back was against the old tree on the hill she used to love visiting so long ago. She hadn't been up there in so long. She had kicked her shoes off, her toes digging into the thick grass beneath her. She ducked her head, closing her eyes.

Life just wasn't fair sometimes. Someone was going around murdering a bunch of people and she had no idea how to catch them. The longer she sat around not knowing how to catch them the more people that would die for no reason. She could barely sleep those days, she had so many dreams and visions that were nearly impossible to decipher. Standing up for herself against Cindy had felt good…until the adrenaline had worn off. Now she felt even _worse_. The chances of them being friends again were non-existent and it was all her fault.

To top it all off, she'd been sitting in English class and had had some vision about Huey and Maya _kissing. _Like she'd really wanted to see that! So, now she could finally tell Maya to stop being such a chicken and ask him out since it was _obvious _how much he liked her.

What bothered her most about the vision wasn't that she had it…but how she'd _felt _about it. She'd felt surprised. She had felt angry. And she'd felt sad. Unexplainably, unbearably, immeasurably _sad_.

She knew _why _she felt sad, and that only served to make her even sadder. She'd been such an idiot, thinking that they could be friends and she wouldn't feel anything for him anymore. She was so _stupid_…

The next thing she knew, she was crying.

'I´m feeling such a vacancy, I don´t feel whole  
Wish I could put my finger on it but I don´t know  
what it is'

Yeah, she'd cried when Cindy and her had stopped being friends and she'd cried when Ethan had been murdered and she'd failed to save him. Now she was crying because…

'I looked in every place I could seek  
Tried to find the missing part of me  
I can´t explain this feeling'

She didn't even _know _why she was crying. Which just made it worse.

"I believe you're lost."

Jazmine's face jerked up to see Huey smirking down at her. At least he was until he glanced at her face. Then, he was rolling his eyes and sighing.

"You are forever crying." He snorted. "Some things never change."

She glared up at him through her tears, shaking her head and turning back towards the moon. "Whatever, Huey."

"Ouch." To her annoyance he sat down beside her, setting down his notebook. "This must be serious if you've got such an attitude."

"It's nothing." She rested her chin on her knees, trying to stop her tears and failing completely. "You would think it was dumb. You wouldn't understand."

"You use that reasoning a lot, you know." He rested against the tree as well, resting his legs in front of him and glancing towards her. "I don't think you are an expert on what I do and don't successfully comprehend. And to think you are is pretty illogical on your part."

'Feels like I´m on the wrong journey, going in circles  
And I ain´t even going nowhere  
I´m lost in the middle of nowhere  
Something is missing  
can´t somebody help me?  
Something is missing  
I´m missing a part of me  
Something is missing  
Show me what it is  
Show me what's missing'

"I'm just seeing how miserable it can be being alone, I guess." Jazmine's eyes narrowed towards him as if daring him to say something mean. He looked at her, shrugging.

"I can see that."

His words stunned her. She lifted an eyebrow, having to fight to keep her jaw from dropping.

"You…do." Her tone was doubtful. He nodded, staring up at the sky.

"Yeah." He paused. "It's human nature to sometimes feel alone, even when surrounded by people. As humans, we all enjoy trying to assume that we know all we can about one another, as if we can really deem their problems to be inadequate or not to our own. We are all good at placing ourselves in the center of the universe, even if we are almost out of the galaxy. It's a people thing."

Jazmine sat up, her back sliding against the tree trunk. "Do you feel that way?" He blinked. "Alone?"

He snorted. "No."

Her shoulders slumped.

'I´m in a dark room in a bad position  
I´m looking for the light to restore my vision  
'Cause I´m walking blind, I keep fallin' down  
I can´t find my way  
I can´t explain this feeling'

"I don't feel alone, because I know if we were meant _not _to be alone then we would have been born with another person," He went on, dropping his eyes to look at her. "I do, however, feel misunderstood. Which can be just as bad when you're surrounded by people, but none of them are capable of comprehending you."

She snorted. "Misunderstood. Of course you do."

He scowled at her. "Yeah. I do." He looked away. "You would feel the same way if your ideas and opinions were constantly ignored. If you had a plan to change the world around you, but people are too indifferent and lazy to care. If your words meant so little to people that your own family ignored you."

Jazmine's eyes widened. She swallowed, lifting her chin.

"Your words mean something to _me_."

"Yeah, thanks," He said, his tone implying that he couldn't care less. "People are always going to be people, and it should be practically expected for people not to care. And they don't. They don't care about the government, they don't care about what's occurring on a global scale, and in turn they don't care about themselves."

She stared up at him. "But you care."

He paused, nodding. "I do."

'Feels like I´m on the wrong journey, going in circles  
And I ain´t even going nowhere  
I´m lost in the middle of nowhere

Something is missing  
can´t somebody help me?  
Something is missing  
I´m missing a part of me  
Something is missing  
Show me what it is  
Show me what's missing'

Jazmine let her legs slide forward and rested her palms on her knees, shaking her feet. Huey stared straight ahead.

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit." Her eyes flickered up to his face. "It's pathetic."

Her eyes widened. He glanced towards her, shrugging.

"Well, it is." He looked away again. "When you stood up to Cindy yesterday, it was pretty impressive."

She sniffed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't think the soda thing was necessary, but if it gets the point across, I guess." He gestured towards her. "But look at you. You obviously realize you don't like being alone, but how can you expect to be content _not _alone if you can't stand your own company?"

Jazmine frowned. "I do like my own company." She shrugged. "It would just be nice to get…I don't know. A few friends, I guess-"

"Then get some damn friends!" Huey yelled, causing her to blink. "Really. It's not that difficult."

"This is coming from the guy who just said how he feels as if no one understands him," She shot back acidly. He shrugged.

"Well, at least I'm misunderstood with friends."

"And at least I'm alone with enough self-awareness to _understand _myself."

"I never said I didn't understand myself."

"And I never asked you to give me your advice."

They glared at each other. Finally, he sighed.

"If you could just take _that _attitude –you know, the one you have no problem showing towards me- and apply it to say, everything else," He said mildly. "Then you would be set."

Jazmine's face softened. She glanced down at the grass, picking at the blades with her fingertips.

"Thanks. I guess."

'Feels like I´m leaving something behind  
Can´t think straight, something's on my mind  
Can´t pay attention 'cause I´m all so broke  
Can't find the words, cause they all been spoke'

"If I felt alone sometimes then it wouldn't be so bad," She confessed, her shoulders slumping. She didn't really care how immature she looked at this point. "But I feel alone _all _the time. It's draining. It's miserable." She glanced towards him. "I don't want to be this way."

He looked at her like she was nuts. "So don't be."

"Easy for you to say." She kept on before he could cut in. "You don't have visions. You don't _normally _have ghosts coming to you for help. You don't have to worry about seeing something while you're giving a speech and zoning out or passing out in the hallway because a premonition was too strong for you to handle. You don't have to lie to your best friends. You don't have to put your secret in front of everyone else in your life." She snorted. "Do you walk around, feeling as if something's not there? Like there's this part of you that you lost along the way and you don't know how to get it back?"

He blinked.

"Yes."

Her eyebrow lifted. He smirked.

"That's life, Jazmine. You're not the only one who feels that way, trust me. It doesn't matter if you're a psychic or a medium or a damn dog. As you go through life, you go through experiences and you change. None of us are meant to stay the same. And if you do, then you're not doing it right."

Jazmine looked reluctant.

"There's not much you can do about it," He continued casually. "You can whine about it, or cry all the time. You can sit under trees on hills and bawl like there's no tomorrow and feel sorry for yourself." Jazmine gave him a dirty look. "Or, you can suck it up and realize some of us get crappier hands than others. You can get over it."

She opened her mouth to speak, decided otherwise, and closed it. She pressed her lips together, staring down to the rest of Woodcrest, lit up under the glow of the moon. She felt her lips spread into a soft smile.

'The answer's gonna be right in my face  
What I gotta do to fill this empty space?'

"You should ask Maya out."

He gave her a look. "What the hell does that even have to _do _with the current conversation?"

Jazmine shrugged, pulling at a string on her sleeve. "I don't know," She replied. "I was thinking about the whole me-having-premonitions-at-inconvenient-times thing, and remembered that I had one about you two kissing. So, if you want to get in on that-"

"So what, you're cupid now?" He sounded amused. Jazmine nodded, sighing.

"Might as well do something useful with these visions of mine."

"Thanks for the heads up." He snorted. "I'll keep that in mind."

She folded her arms over her chest, giving him a look. "What? Are you saying you _don't _want to kiss her?"

"I didn't say anything." He picked up his book, placing it in his lap. "You're the one who assumed that."

"Well, was my assumption right?"

He looked bored. "There's much more interesting things to discuss other than who I am willing and not willing to kiss."

Jazmine leaned against the tree again, shrugging. "Whatever you say."

'Feels like I'm on a long journey going in circles  
And I ain't even going nowhere  
I'm lost in the middle of nowhere'

"Well," Jazmine tried again, lacing her fingers together. "If _she _were to ask you out, would you go out with her?"

"Actually," Huey said casually, smirking at her. "She did. Today, at the end of school."

Jazmine felt a pang go through her chest, felt a swooping sensation in her stomach. She tried to keep her face impassive.

"And?" She smiled, even though she felt like crying all over again. "What did you say?"

'Something is missing  
Can't somebody help me?  
Something is missing  
I'm missing a part of me  
Something is missing  
Show me what it is  
Show me what it is'

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "If you must know," He said, sounding annoyed. "I told her I would have to think about it."

Jazmine blinked. She gave him an incredulous look before blinking again.

"I'm sorry…what?"

"I told her I'd think about it." He snorted. "It's not that big a deal."

"It kind of is," Jazmine said, having to keep from yelling. It was funny in a way, how she could go from feeling down to tons better courtesy of a callous Huey Freeman. "Huey, you like her!"

"I do."

"And she asked you out!"

"She did."

"So why didn't you say yes?" Jazmine breathed, her heart thudding in her chest. He shrugged.

"Because."

Silence filled the air, minus the gentle sound of the wind filtering through the leaves above them. Jazmine's face fell flat.

"That's it. That's your reason. _Because_."

"What do you want me to say?" He asked. "You know, It's not really any of your business."

"Well, if I have to see you two _making out _in my head, it kind of becomes my business." She gently pushed him. "Come on. Why didn't you say yes?"

He sighed, leaning back.

"It's like what I said about people changing," He said carefully. "Sometimes, you think you know what you want in someone, and then your perspective can shift to something different."

Jazmine rested her chin in her hand. "But you two are so much alike."

"You and Cindy are a lot alike as well," He pointed out, making her frown. "But you see that didn't work out for the best."

She didn't say anything.

"I'm not saying I don't like her," He went on. "I'm simply saying that sometimes it's better to evaluate a situation from different angles. We are a lot alike, sure. We're so much alike that we know what the other one's going to do before we do it. We can pick up on each other's moods and we both know exactly what we want out of life. If I were a female and I looked in the mirror, I would probably be close to resembling her."

Jazmine made a face. "If that's the case…then what's to think about?"

He snorted. "There's the fact that we _are _alike. If we know what the other person's always feeling, thinking, doing…then it becomes routine."

"But you _like _routine."

"Yeah, sometimes." He shook his head. "We wouldn't argue much, because we would be able to tell what was bothering each other. We'd be able to verbalize our problems efficiently and probably wouldn't even _have _to say what they were in order to know what we were talking about…but there's something about having to look into a person's face and not know what they're thinking, or finding them to be complicated once in awhile. There's something about arguing. It's normal for there to be conflict, and with us there would be none. It would be weird."

"So…you _want _conflict."

_'Feels like I'm on a long journey going in circles  
And I ain't even going nowhere  
I'm lost in the middle of nowhere.'_

"No." He looked annoyed. "I don't want someone who is exactly like me. In that case I might as well be dating myself. While it would be easier, I already know everything there is to know about myself. I'd much rather work to find out what I can about someone _else_."

Jazmine stared at him. "That makes sense."

"Good." Satisfied, he leaned back and closed his eyes. "Now stop annoying me about it."

"Fine." She shook her head, glancing away.

_'Something is missing  
Can't somebody help me'_

"Huey."

"Hmm?"

She shrugged, frowning. "Do you think I'm complicated?"

He opened his eyes, looking at her. He snorted, nodding.

"Oh, yeah."

_'Something is missing  
I'm missing a part of me'_

She frowned, shaking her head. He studied her face for a moment.

"It's not always a bad thing."

She looked back at him but he'd closed his eyes again, his hands behind his head. She slowly turned back to the front, staring down at her feet.

He told Maya he had to consider it. It was selfish of her, extremely selfish, but she couldn't help but feel relieved. Even a little glad.

What was the point though? What, did she seriously think he was going to turn down Maya for _her_? She'd be stupid for even thinking that could happen. She didn't even realize that she'd started liking him again until…

Actually…she couldn't even remember _when _she'd realized it.

_'Something is missing  
Show me what it is'_

Was it wrong to feel that way? Was it wrong to be falling for him all over again when that was probably the worst thing she could do not only for herself, but for the both of them?

_'Show me what's missing'_

She swallowed, glancing at him the same time he looked at her. She blinked. His eyes widened.

Before she could say anything he was looking past her, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell?"

Jazmine looked over to see a woman standing there, her hands tucked behind her back. Her shoulders slumped. Great. So now she had to put up with a ghost, too?

"Um…" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, frowning slightly. "May I help you?"

The woman surprised her and Huey both by suddenly bursting into tears, covering her face with her hands and wailing at the top of her lungs. They exchanged perplexed glances, both of them rising to their feet.

"Aye!" Huey stopped in front of the woman, trying not to look _too _annoyed. "Calm down!"

"I-don't-want-to-calm-down!" She sobbed, shaking her head. "It's just…I'm so glad someone can _see _me!"

Huey snorted. Jazmine shot him a warning glance, turning towards the woman.

"Who are you?" She asked. The woman stopped crying long enough to wipe her eyes.

"Mariah." She choked back another batch of tears. "Mariah Anderson-Nelson." She let her hands drop to her sides. "I…I didn't know who else to come to-"

"It's okay." Really, it was. It wasn't her fault she'd been killed. At least, Jazmine didn't think so. "So, what happened? If you don't mind me asking."

Mariah shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I-I can't-"

"It's okay." Jazmine snapped her fingers, stepping forward. "Let me try something. Give me your hand."

Mariah looked wary, but held out her hand nonetheless. Jazmine lifted her own hand, letting her fingertips brush across Mariah's ice cold skin.

_"Well, I don't need you!" Mariah was screaming at some man, who didn't look too much happier than she. "I never did!"_

_"Well if you don't need me, get the fuck out my house!" The guy yelled, hurling a glass towards her. She ducked out the way just as it hit the wall beside her. She picked up a bowl of her own, throwing it at his head._

_"Fuck you!" She yelled, grabbing her purse and storming out the back door before he could get another word in. "I hope you burn in hell!" She slammed the door behind her, shaking her head and walking down the steps, turning the corner and freezing in her tracks._

_"Hello?" She took a step forward, wiping her eyes. There was a figure standing in front of her, but it was too dark for him to make out its face. "Who are you?"_

_He took a step towards her, lifting his head. _

_"I am going to need that life of yours," He said icily, making her breath catch in her throat. He advanced forward and she spun around in an attempt to run, but then she couldn't breathe. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees, dropping her purse and watching its contents spill onto the grass as she fought for air. She turned around to see him smiling coldly at her, his hand raised. She gasped, falling onto her back and staring at the sky, feeling her own grip on her throat lessen. She could feel her chest burning, threatening to erupt-_

"Jazmine!"

"Huh?" Jazmine looked up to see Huey's face inches from hers. His hands were around her shoulders. He'd obviously been shaking her. She removed herself from his grasp, taking a deep breath before facing the woman before them.

"What were you two arguing about?"

"What?" Mariah blinked, her red rimmed eyes filled with confusion.

"Before you died." Jazmine ran a hand through her hair. "You and a man were fighting."

"Oh! My husband." Mariah snorted. "Well, he was about to be my _ex _husband. I had just told him I wanted a divorce."

"Oh."

"What happened?" Huey asked, staring between the both of them. Jazmine glanced at him.

"It was the same person. The same person who killed the others." She shook her head, swallowing. She closed her eyes. No one else said anything for a long moment.

"Others?" Mariah gave Jazmine a confused look. "What others?"

"There's…a killer going around," Huey supplied, crossing his arms over his chest. "No one's sure on how to find him-"

"I know how."

Mariah and Huey looked towards Jazmine, who had opened her eyes again. She was staring at the ground with a grim expression etched into her face.

"How?" Mariah asked.

Jazmine shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, sighing. She bit her lip.

"I can do an exorcism."

Huey's head whipped towards her. Mariah's eyes widened.

"You're a witch?" She asked in an awestruck voice. Jazmine cut her eyes towards her.

"_No_."

Mariah frowned. Huey smirked.

"An exorcism." He shook his head, leaning against the tree. "How do we do that?"

Before he knew it he was on the receiving end of one of Jazmine's glares as well. She shook her head in one sharp motion.

"_We _don't do it. I do."

His eyes narrowed. "Because…"

"_Because_," She said in a haughty tone. "Exorcisms are dangerous. Exorcisms are stupid. Exorcisms, if done improperly and in some cases even _when _done properly, can kill you."

"Well, have you done one before?" Huey asked. She nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I've done two." She frowned. "The first one I did when I was fourteen and I missed a week of school after the wind caused a tree branch to fall and break my leg. That's why I had to quit gymnastics. The second one was back in June. I broke my wrist."

Huey made a face.

"Exorcisms aren't something to play around with," She said, her eyes narrowing. Even Mariah looked nervous. "They aren't something that regular mortals can handle. They're barely something that the _rest _of us can handle. And they can get dangerous." Jazmine shook her head again. "So, as great as it is having someone around to help me with these things, this isn't something you can do."

He snorted, giving her a look. "_Life _is dangerous. I could walk outside the front door and get shot. I could fall down the stairs. I could randomly have a brain aneurysm and drop dead like a certain someone almost did."

"It's not the same _thing_," Jazmine snapped, clenching her fists. He set his jaw.

"It's the exact same thing. What the hell makes you think you're so superior that you can do something to risk your life and others can't?" He argued.

"What the hell makes you think I think I'm superior?" She shot back. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

"Then what is it?" He shrugged, snarling. "You think I'm too weak?"

"What? No!"

"Is it because I'm a mortal?"

"Huey, no-"

"Is it because there is something that makes you better than me and physically, mentally, or emotionally more capable?"

"_No_."

He lifted his eyebrows, smirking. "Then let me help you."

Jazmine could have screamed. He thought he was so slick. After saying all that, for her to say no would mean that she thought she was better than him, or that there was something wrong with him that made his abilities inadequate to hers. Damn him…

"_Fine_." She had to force the word out and keep from attempting to wipe that triumphant smirk off his face. "What_ever_. You can come, too."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Whatever." Jazmine shook her head, turning back to the bemused ghost. "So, Mariah. What is it that you need from me?"

Mariah twisted at the wedding band on her finger, sighing. "I want you to tell my husband that I loved him. His name is…_was_…Charles."

Huey's eyebrow lifted. "But you two were going to get a divorce."

"I know." She sighed. "We just…we let everyone else get in the middle of our marriage. And I managed to catch a glimpse of him after I woke up…er, dead. He was completely falling apart. I've never seen him so hysterical in my life. I still loved him…I still do…I just never realized how much he still loved me. If I did then I would have tried harder to make it work. I guess I thought if it came down to it we'd have the time to work it out…" She glanced at the both of them. "Never take someone for granted. That's what I've learned from this. Appreciate who you have everyday and let them know how you feel. Because…well, the truth about time, the truth about life...it's all really short. It's shorter than anyone thinks."

Huey and Jazmine slowly looked towards each other, both of their heads whipping in the opposite directions the second they locked eyes. Jazmine winced, rubbing the crick in her neck.

"Charles Nelson." Jazmine nodded, giving Mariah a smile. "I'll let him know."

Mariah smiled, tearing up again. "Thank you."

"Mariah." The ghost blinked. Jazmine sighed. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged, smiling sadly. "It is what it is, I guess." And with that, she was gone. Jazmine turned around, giving Huey a look.

"What time is it?"

He glanced at his watch before looking up again. "Ten."

Jazmine glanced up at the sky, biting her lip. She glanced back down at him.

"I'm doing it tomorrow night." She wrapped her arms around herself. "It's going to be a full moon. I've noticed my powers seem stronger around full moons." Her eyes narrowed.

"You're going to meet me at the abandoned gym on the outskirts of town tomorrow night at eleven thirty," She went on quietly, not blinking. He gazed back just as hard. "At the latest, eleven forty five. I've got to do this at midnight."

"Why midnight?"

Jazmine sighed. "It's just one of those things." She paused. "I need you to try and remember what that ghost you saw Saturday looks like since he's most likely the culprit. I need you to remember every little detail you can, from what color he was wearing to where his birthmarks are."

His nose wrinkled. "I don't know if I can remember all _that_-"

"Well, _try_, because I haven't seen him and I need to for this to work." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to use what you saw so that I can see him myself. Hopefully I'll be able to get him that way."

"What are you going to do when you get him?"

Jazmine held up the locket that hung around her neck, tapping it with her ring finger. "I'm going to put him back where he belongs and destroy this thing." She looked thoughtful. "If I can't figure out how to get him back in here then I'll try to send him to the astral plane. I don't know, I'm going to have to see if I can find how he got in there in the first place. I'm going to have to go and dig up every possible thing I can to make sure I remember how to do this." She inwardly groaned. There was no way she'd be sleeping that night. Huey regarded her with a strange expression.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. We should probably go."

She nodded, following him down the hill.

"Hey, Huey?"

"Hmm?"

She glared at him. "We can't screw this up."

He shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Then we won't."

We. It was such a weird term. She shook her head, falling in step with him as they reached the bottom of the hill and started home.

_We_…wasn't so bad.

* * *

Man, my head hurts. Bedtime, Definitely. I hope at least _you _enjoyed it. In the end it's your opinions that matter :)

-Kelsey


	14. Hitchhiker's Guide to Time Travel

Alright, so here's the dealio (Ew. How lame). This chapter was soooo long that by the time I was done it was almost 12,000 words. Yikes. Therefore, I made it into two different chapters. So, I suppose you get one extra chapter. Yippee for you. lol.

Now, the most relevant stuff is in the second part of the chapter (or should I say the chapter after this) but this one sheds enough light on some things, I suppose. So, yeah...I hope you enjoy part one of what was supposed to be the same chapter. lol (was that confusing enough?)

THANKYOU to insert psuedonym, Leka10, MizzC, and OSASI OMFG YOU'RE BACK!!!! haha. Seeing the unexpected surge of reviews filled my tiny heart with untold amounts of glee. So...yay!!!

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks ain't mine, son._

* * *

Hitchhiker's Guide to Time Travel

She stared up at the dark ceiling, her fingers lightly touching the necklace that hung from her neck. Her parents had gone to sleep so it was completely quiet. Well, except for her loud thoughts. They never seemed to shut up.

Jazmine was surrounded by everything from old pages that her mother had found in the attic to the diary, to an old book that her grandmother had given her when she was younger. She yawned, closing her eyes. She'd get back to reading in a moment, when her mind wasn't so jumbled from all the words and images that were racing through it. She just needed to rest her eyes…

_It was the cool air that made her open her eyes._

_She was outside. It was sunny, the sky a bright, promising blue. She was standing in the center of an old dirt road with buildings on either side of them, made of older looking cobblestone. She was in an obviously heavily populated placed…only no one else was outside. She took a step forward, making a face._

_She had no idea how she'd gotten from her bed to some random place, but if she had known she'd be going somewhere she would have at least put on a bra._

_"Hello?" She called, her voice echoing hollowly. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself and taking another step forward. She was still in her pink pajama bottom along with her long sleeved black shirt, and she wasn't wearing any shoes. Why the heck would she go out and not put shoes on? She had to be dreaming. That was the only explanation. "Hello?" She tried again, feeling slightly panicked. Where was everyone?! She heard a chuckle behind her and whirled around._

_There was a man standing there, his hands in the pockets of his trousers and a smirk on his face. He was tall and was wearing a hat, the brim of which came down far enough to almost cover his wine colored eyes. Jazmine's eyes narrowed as she studied him. He looked a lot like Huey…_

_"Who are you and where are we?" She asked. He smiled._

_"You know who I am."_

_She blinked, giving him a look of her own, wracking her brain. It finally clicked. "You're Matthew. You're Matthew Freeman."_

_He chuckled. "I thought you would catch on quickly enough."_

_Jazmine nodded. "Well, as nice as it is to meet you…where are we? Am I…dreaming all of this?"_

_Matthew shook his head. "No. You are not."_

_Jazmine's brow knit in confusion. He offered her another gentle smile, turning on his heel and starting down the empty street._

_"Follow me."_

_She gave his back a reluctant stare, but when she saw he was still walking and realized how little she wanted to be alone again she ran after him, catching up and falling in step. She glanced up at his face as he stared straight ahead with the same calm expression on his face._

_"If I'm not dreaming, then where am I?" Jazmine asked softly. He sighed._

_"You are, technically speaking, still sleeping in your bed. However, the rest of you, your…soul, if you will, is on what is known as an astral plane." He caught Jazmine's wide eyed stare and snorted. "The only people who can walk such a place are those who are either dead, en route between life and death, or guardians. Sometimes, there are special circumstances."_

_Jazmine bit her lip. "Which was…?"_

_He stopped, turning towards her. "I brought you here."_

_Jazmine ceased her walking as well, staring up at him. "Why?"_

_Matthew massaged his temples with his hand. "I am going to try to explain this as best as I can. You see, I am not familiar with magic and mystical powers of that sort. I just had to warn you. I had to let you know what you are getting into."_

_She didn't say anything; she merely stared up at him with big, green eyes. He gave her a look before shaking his head in disbelief._

_"You are but a child."_

_Her eyebrows drew together all over again. "Excuse me?" Her nose wrinkled. "You brought me up here to say _that_?"_

_"No. I am sorry." He shook his head. "It is just, I was informed that you are the seventh generation of the James' witches-"_

_"I'm _not _a witch-"_

_"-and that you are the most powerful." He gestured to her. "But you are so young."_

_"Age doesn't matter," She said, glaring at him. His eyes softened. He seemed to be thinking about something._

_"You are right." He closed his eyes. "It does not."_

_Before she could say anything else he went on._

_"I cannot tell you everything," He said in a serious voice. "It would be breaking rules. I will tell you what I can." He frowned. "One of those things I can say is that you must be careful when handling this spirit."_

_"Spirit?"_

_"The one that you plan to destroy." She blinked, recognition dawning in her expression. "He does not care who gets in his way. He only cares about completing what he set out to do."_

_Jazmine swallowed. "Which is…"_

_"That," He said. "Is something I cannot tell you."_

_She nodded, rubbing her arm and looking away. She had to scrunch her eyes as she looked back up at him, the bright sunlight causing a glare._

_"You have all that you need on earth," He continued, resuming his walking. She followed him. "Every answer that you need is in your reach. You just have to read it. You have to find it for yourself." He paused. "I have talked to your grandmother before, you know. She has told me about you." He gave Jazmine a sideways glance. "She has said that you are good at what you do, but you are becoming more like your great-grandmother every day. She has expressed her concern about you following in her path."_

_"Is that all you guys can do?" Jazmine asked, rolling her eyes. "Talk about me on some ghost plane?"_

_"Well, we certainly cannot go out to eat, now can we?" He asked. When she glanced at him, however, she saw that he was smirking. She shook her head._

_"If you died, and you passed on…" She put a hand on her hip. "Then how can you come back?"_

_He stroked his chin with his hand. "Well," He remarked thoughtfully. "I do not know the exact mechanics behind it. Your great-grandmother once told me that in the case of reincarnations, they can pass through the barrier whenever needed. For instance, after you die, unless your soul is reincarnated then Anya will not be able to come back, nor will you. When my reincarnation dies, the same will apply to me as well."_

_Jazmine tipped her head to the side, examining him. "Who's your reincarnation?" She asked curiously. He snorted._

_"Deep down, I am sure you already know the answer to this as well." _

_Jazmine didn't say anything. He looked at her._

_"I do not know you," He said carefully, making her glance back up to him. "I do know that you resemble Anya a lot. There are various differences of course…but your grandmother is right. You are walking the same tightrope that she did. There are quite a few people who are not happy about it. And if you do not tread carefully then you could possibly lose everything."_

_"Such words of encouragement." She sighed. "Thank you."_

_Matthew gave her a stern look. "I did not say that I agreed with them."_

_She blinked._

_"Anya used to say how people like herself, people like…you, were supposed to be alone." He chuckled, as if it were funny. "I did not believe she was correct. I still do not." He smiled towards her. "I hope I do not get in trouble for saying that. I cannot help if it is how I feel on the matter, however." After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat._

_"Reincarnations are typically born into different situations than their predecessors," He said quietly. Jazmine didn't look at him. "They're born into a different lifestyle, a different race, different countries. There are various factors that decide who is reborn and to who they are reborn. Not everyone is a reincarnation. The odds of you and my great-great grandson even crossing the same path at the same time, living in the same lifetime…it is a rare thing. It makes me wonder."_

_Jazmine swallowed, not liking the direction of this conversation. "Makes you wonder…?"_

_"It makes me wonder," He continued, shaking his head. "If history is-"_

_"Don't say it." Jazmine held up her hand. "Don't say history is repeating itself."_

_"I was not going to." His eyes locked with hers. "I was going to say that history was correcting itself."_

_She shut her mouth._

_"Maybe I am biased, or selfish, or a little bit of both," He went on casually, folding his arms over his chest. "Maybe the thought of two reincarnations who didn't work out in a past life working out in another life is just something that brings me peace."_

_"It doesn't give it to me." He looked at Jazmine. She snorted. "It's as if you're saying that since I'm some reborn soul that my path's already been picked out for me. Or that I don't have control over whatever I want to choose for my life."_

_"That is not true. Everyone has choices." He shrugged. "Anya and I had choices, and we made the wrong ones. It does not mean that you will do the same."_

_"How do I make the right choices," Jazmine asked quietly. "When I don't even know what they are?"_

_He crouched down in front of her, picking a small, purple flower and handing it to her. She twirled it around between her fingers, blinking at him._

_"You cannot focus so much on what you know," He said. "You have to evaluate your feelings."_

_"Yeah, right."_

_"Yes. It is right." He glared at her. "That is where your great-grandmother made her mistake. She convinced herself that she needed no one else when in truth it was what she needed more than anything."_

_Jazmine gave him a look, shaking her head in disbelief. She snorted more to herself than anyone else._

_"So, it's true then." She looked up. "Huey's your reincarnation."_

_He nodded. Jazmine let out a low whistle._

_"How often does stuff like this happen?"_

_He looked puzzled._

_"How often do two reincarnations who knew each other in the past cross paths again?"_

_Matthew shrugged. "Never." She shifted uncomfortably. "That is why I said maybe history is correcting itself. It is a rare, rare thing. But it is not impossible." _

_"So, what?" Jazmine's nose wrinkled. "I'm only attracted to him because my past life and _his _past life were in love? That's stupid-"_

_"No, that is not why." Matthew shook his head. "You are attracted to him because _you _love him. That is all that matters."_

_"I don't…" Jazmine shut her mouth, exhaling through her nose. Matthew surveyed her with another look._

_"My final piece of advice," He said quietly. "Is that you think long and hard before making the next choices that you are going to have to make. For everything that you do, there is a consequence." He sighed. "There is always a consequence…"_

_Everything was fading again, the sunlight dimming and the rest of her vision fading. Matthew turned on his heel, walking away from her. She tried to reach out a hand towards him, but then it was completely dark, and she was falling…_

Jazmine bolted up, her eyes wide. She glanced around her room. Everything was completely normal. She let her hands rise up to her chest, feeling her warm flesh underneath her and becoming more aware of the air that was entering and leaving her lungs.

Had she been dreaming? She shook her head, scratching her head with her right hand. She realized she was holding something and looked to her hand.

There was a flower with purple petals clenched in her fist. Her eyes widened.

She had no idea what was going on. But she knew she'd have to find out. And quick.

---

"Alright, son." The principal folded his hands neatly on his desk, giving the younger boy a stern look. "Would you like to explain to me why on _earth _you thought it would be okay to steal chemical substances from the chemistry lab and pour them in the school meatloaf, causing half the cafeteria to explode?"

"Aiight, aiight." Riley held up his hand, sitting on the opposite side of the desk. "Now, before you go getting all made like a lil' bitch, lemme tell you wha happened." He cleared his throat, sittin up. "Right. So, I was wit my friend-"

"Which friend?"

"Nigga, no snitchin!" Riley yelled, causing his eyebrow to rise. "Anyways, so me and my friends went to tha chemistry lab cuz we had ta get something from tha teacher. So, we go in thur, and we see dis beaker jank with sum clear liquid. So me and mah friends, we like "Oh, shit! Lemme find out dey got sum alcohol in dis bitch!" Cuz we thought it was Vodka, right? So, we tooks it wid us. Den, we thought it'd be funny to find sum mo' so we could spike da cafeteria food and have bitches walkin round drunk and shit. So den-"

"You…should just stop." The principal shook his head, massaging his temples. There was a sudden knock on the door and he sighed, lifting his head. "Come in!"

The door open, exposing a not-so-happy Huey. The principal waved him forward. Riley turned around, spotted him, and made a face.

"Uhhhhhh!" He stuck out his tongue. "What dis nigga doin in hurr?"

"Saving your ass, that's what I'm doing." Huey shook his head, glancing at the principal. He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together.

"I understand you want to help your brother, Mr. Freeman," He said, giving him a stern look. "However, he has gone too far this time. Not only did his foolish antics cause half of the cafeteria to burn down but he could have seriously injured someone. I have no choice but to expel him."

"Oh, you do have a choice," Huey replied evenly, raising his chin. The principal sat up, giving him a look.

"I do, do I?"

"Yes."

"And," He replied, not sounding too convinced. "May I ask how you figure that?"

Huey reached into his pocket, withdrawing a cluster of folded papers. He unfolded them, smoothing out the creases and plopping them down on the desk for the principal, Riley, and himself to see. He pointed to a section.

"One of the most important factors that you seem to have missed with that ignorant mind of yours," Huey pointed out, his eyes narrowing. "Is that instead of abiding to the safety codes and regulations that the school district, as well as the state, set up, they were ignored. Had the teacher _not _left the substance in question in plain view, instead putting it back into its correct container and putting it away which is supposed to be done at the end of class, then Riley would have been fully responsible since he'd have to go looking for it." The principal's eyes widened. Huey's finger moved to another section of the long paragraph, its print tiny. "So, let's say you decide to expel Riley. That's fine." He shrugged. "I'll just have to go to the proper authorities, say, the superintendant of schools, and mention how one of your accredited teachers didn't obey the rules that are set up, his mistake leaving us all in danger. Not only will the teacher get suspended, but they'll have to-" He paused to flip a few pages, not even paying attention to the principal's horrified face and Riley's own excited one. "-do an investigation on the claim. Which, by the way, will be money that comes out of _your _budget."

The principal swallowed, tugging at his collar. Huey cut his eyes towards him.

"Don't think they won't find proof of the chemistry teacher's negligence, either." He snapped the pages closed with one swift movement of his hand. "There's cameras in every room. They are always turned on. Always." He pocketed the papers, giving him a look. "Are you okay? You look a bit paler than your usual paleness."

The principal visibly shuddered, sighing loudly and glaring at the elder boy. "_Fine_, Mr. Freeman. Riley-" He waved his hand towards him. "You're suspended for the rest of the week. Now, get the hell out of my office."

"I'm out, son! Peace nigga!" Riley rose out of his chair, smirking. "Yeah, thought you was gon catch young Reezy. Can't nobody touch dis-"

"Come _on_," Huey groaned, grabbing his collar and dragging him after him. "Thanks, Mr. Garcia."

The principal shook his head, sighing again. The door shut behind him. Riley cackled as they left the main office and Huey let him go. He grinned towards his older brother.

"Aye- OW!" He rubbed the back of his head from where Huey smacked him. "What tha hell was dat for?"

"You dumbass!" Huey shouted, throwing up his hands. "You almost got expelled! I can't keep saving your ass, Riley!"

"Nigga, whateva." He lifted his backpack on his shoulder, walking away. "I don give a fuck."

"What the hell is your problem?" Huey followed him, glaring. His fists were clenched by his sides. "Have you lost yo goddamn mind? Do you _want _to flunk out of school? Do you _want _to amount to nothing?"

"Nigga, get outta mah face wit dat shit!" Riley yelled, spinning around. He glared back at his older brother. "You don know me! You don know nothin!"

"Apparently I _do _since that's the reason you're not banned from school grounds yet!" He shot back. Riley glared at him. "You think I bail you out of trouble for fun? Like I don't have _better_, more important things to do with my time?" Riley didn't say anything, he merely folded his arms over his chest, scowling. "Huh?" When he didn't answer him Huey reached out, shaking his shoulders. "Answer me!"

"Nigga, who tha fuck is you touchin?!" Riley wrestled out of his grasp, straightening his clothes. "Shit! Yo ass always actin like you betta den somebody! Like I really gotta answer to you!"

"So, this is how you're always going to be." Huey gestured to him, shaking his head and sighing. "Just fucking up and acting crazy as hell. I thought that maybe when you got to high school you'd get better, but you're just never going to change, are you?" He let his hands drop to his sides, shaking his head. "Man, whatever." He turned on his heel, walking away. He heard Riley slowly follow after him.

"So what, nigga!" Huey stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "You just gon give up? You gon just leave me alone?"

"I don't give a _damn _what you do, Riley!" Huey snapped towards his younger brother. "If you want to keep acting like you have no future, then-"

"See, dat's why I can' stand bein' _round _yo punk ass!" Riley yelled, shaking his head and clenching his fists. His haze eyes were narrowed in anger. "You think you so smart cuz your read erry'thang and you graduatin' early an' you get to leave outta hur an shit. Nigga, whateva!" He took a deep breath. He was so angry he was shaking. Huey blinked.

"I don't think that."

Riley shook his head; he obviously wasn't hearing him. "You think you betta den me cuz you got sum book smarts? Cuz you prolly gon get into erry college you apply to? Cause you follow the rules? Nigga, I don' have time for that!" He pounded his fist against his chest. "I ain' smart like you, and I ain' got no patience to try an please some white man like you _obviously _do-"

"That's not true-"

"And I ain' eva been on no honor roll!" Riley was screaming now. Huey was staring at him in surprise. "An Grandad hate me, nobody else try ta act like dey curr bout a nigga…and when you leavin you dun already said you ain' comin back, so you obviously ain' gon miss nobody! You don curr what happens to a nigga! You just wanna get yours!"

Huey's eyes softened and he gave him a look. "Riley." Unlike his brother, he was calm. "Are you angry that I'm leaving?"

Riley glared at him.

"Riley."

"Nigga, _wut_."

"Riley-"

"I don' even wanna hear it!" Riley snapped. "Shoot, I already gotta hear grandad whinin' bout how he gon be stuck wit me when you leave, an all mah teachers talk me to death bout how _smart _you are an how _disciplined _you is an _why can' you act more like yo brother_." He sucked his teeth. "I ain' you. I ain' ever gonna _be _you. I don' even curr dat you leavin. Den maybe I can gets mine! I can gets my shine and do somethin!" He smacked his lips, shaking his head and starting down the hallway. "Fuck dis. I ain' got time ta explain nothin to yo gay ass."

"Riley!" Huey yelled, but he was already storming around the corner. He shook his head, filled with disbelief. Was Riley really upset that he was leaving? Was he really acting the way he was because of _him_?

"Nah." Huey shook his head, walking down the hallway himself. "He probably just said that shit to try and blame somebody."

Somehow, he didn't think that was true.

---

Jazmine had spread out everything on her floor, the pages all surrounding her. The late afternoon sunlight spilled through her windows. She took a deep breath, placing her hand on one of the pages and squeezing her eyes shut, willing for something to come to her.

_She looked out her window, her cheek resting in her hand. He was walking by, just like the first night she'd ever seen him. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. Unlike the first time, she didn't back down. She stared back just as intently, years seeming to pass by before he was nodding and turning around, continuing down the dark street._

Jazmine blinked, tossing it aside and grabbing another, clenching it in her fist.

_"I know what you are."_

_"You know nothing."_

_He shook his head, his eyes hard. "You are a witch."_

_She glared up at him darkly. "I do not enjoy that term. Do not use it towards me."_

_"Then what are you?"_

_She narrowed her eyes, her fists clenched. "It is none of your concern."_

_"It is." His fingers laced with hers. "I do not care what you are. I love you just the same."_

Jazmine shook her head, tossing that page aside as well. She grasped another one, squeezing her eyes shut.

_"Mommy." The little girl was staring up at the man as well, her green eyes wide. "Who's that man?"_

_"Freda, go inside." She shook her head, watching her run towards the house before cutting her eyes towards him. She lifted her chin. "How dare you. How dare you even show up here after what you've done?"_

_"I did not cause his death." He stepped forward as well, his eyes burning into hers. "It was you, and you alone."_

_"I am not the one who set that fire!" She yelled._

_"No. But you are the one who started this entire thing." He shook his head. "You should have left him alone. I warned you that you were no good for him and you did not listen. Now, because of you, he is dead."_

_She shook her head, her eyes hardening. "You will leave. Right now. Or I will kill you."_

_His eyes narrowed. "There will be a death today, Ms. James. But it will not be my own."_

She lifted her head, pushing it aside. She looked up to see someone standing there, someone who hadn't been there before. Her eyes narrowed.

"Grandma, _what_?"

Her grammy shook her head, a light smile on her features. "Always such a pleasant attitude when I drop by."

"Sorry." Jazmine tossed another page aside. "I'm kind of busy."

"I see." Her eyes narrowed at all the pages around her. "I am impressed. I could never trigger visions by touching items."

Jazmine didn't answer her, instead she reached for another page.

"Jazmine." She looked up. Her grandmother held out her hand.

"For goodness sakes, that will take all day if you approach it that way." She moved her finger to and fro. "Take my hand."

Jazmine gave her a look but rose to her knees, pushing herself off the ground and walking over to her. She slowly reached out before drawing her hand back.

"What are you going to do?" She asked warily. Her grandmother gave her a stern look.

"I am your grandmother, Jazmine, not some homicidal maniac. Now, trust me."

Jazmine sighed, reaching out again. She let her hand clasp itself in her grandmothers. For a second, nothing happened. Then, she gasped.

She felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her and punched her in the stomach at the same time. Her body seemed to be too confining for her heart, like it was about to beat itself out of her chest. After a few seconds the feelings finally faded and she breathed in, opening her eyes. She blinked.

"What the-"

They were in the middle of a crowded street, people pulsing around them. Not just around them…but _through _them. Jazmine's eyes widened and she glanced around, finally seeing her grandmother, who was waving towards her a few meters away. She jogged over to her, gesturing to their surroundings.

"Where the hell are we?!" She asked. Her grandma put a hand on her hip.

"New Orleans. It is the dusk of November twenty-first, nineteen twenty four." Her face was grim. "I believe that in order to understand, you need to see what happened that night."

Jazmine started to ask another question but stopped as she saw a familiar woman run past. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a curly bun, her hazel eyes filled with worry. Jazmine's own eyes narrowed. It was her great-grandmother while she was still alive. She turned to her grandmother, who raised her eyebrows.

"Well?" She asked. "Aren't you going to follow her?"

Jazmine nodded, running after her, only at a slower pace. She didn't know what exactly could happen if Anya spotted her (she _could _see ghosts, after all) but she sure didn't want to find out. When the woman rushed into a house that was a few minutes from the heart of town, Jazmine paused by the door.

"Something has happened."

She could hear the seriousness in Anya's voice, along with heavy footsteps. There was a pause.

"Well, are you not going to ask me what happened?"

Jazmine could practically hear the smirk in Matthew's tone when he replied. "I figured that you would tell me whether prompted or not."

Anya sighed. "Matthew, this is not funny. Anthony knows."

Jazmine made a face, resting her hands on the doorframe. There was another pause.

"I did not tell him."

"I was not trying to imply that you did." Anya sighed. "Regardless, he knows-"

"He is my son. I doubt that he would tell anyone your secret."

There was another moment of silence, followed by Anya's sigh. "Yes…about that…"

"Wait." Jazmine finally chanced a look past the doorframe and peeked in to see Anya sitting at a table, her arms folded, with Matthew on the opposite side. His eyes were narrowed. "Are you trying to tell me that he plans to use that against you?"

Anya nodded. He snorted.

"That is ridiculous."

Her own eyes narrowed. "It is what I saw."

"Well, maybe what you saw was wrong."

"What I see is never wrong!" She snapped, giving him a dirty look. "I would not lie about this."

"I understand that." He sighed, rubbing his head. "But he is my _son_. I cannot just imagine him doing such a thing-"

"I can." Anya snorted. "He has never liked me."

"Yes, but not liking you enough to possibly get you killed?" He shook his head. "I do not see that happening."

She stood up, glaring at him. "Well, fine." She started for the door and Jazmine quickly ducked back. "But when you wake up one morning to discover I am _dead_-"

"I was not-"

"It is fine. Really." She shook her head. "But I cannot stay. I saw that they would come for me in three days. I am leaving tonight."

Jazmine heard his chair scrape back. "Where will you go?"

Anya paused. "I do not know. I supposed up north. Maybe to the capital."

There was another silence, this one longer. Then, Matthew sighed.

"Then I will go with you."

There was a sharp intake of breath of Anya's part. Jazmine glanced up and noticed a man who could only be Anthony himself running towards the house. He slowed down drastically, spotting the couple through the door, and sprang out of sight. Jazmine had to step back as he crept up to the porch, crouching down where she'd been standing moments before.

"I cannot let you do that."

"I do not know how you figure you can stop me, but you can try if you want." Matthew sounded amused, but then his tone got serious. "We will leave tonight, at midnight."

"Matthew-"

"I am going. I do not care what you say."

There was a silence, and then Anya sniffed. She was obviously crying.

"Thank you."

Anthony's eyes narrowed. He stood up, backing away from the house and shaking his head.

"He is choosing that _witch _over me." His expression hardened and he shook his head again. "She thinks she can get away? He thinks it is alright to pick her over his own _son_?" He turned around, running back in the direction from where he'd come before. "I will show them both."

As he ran away Jazmine felt a slight tug and looked over to see her grandmother standing there. Jazmine frowned.

"Anthony was plotting to kill her."

Her grandmother nodded. "She saved him from drowning after she had a premonition about it and he figured out her secret. He planned to tell the city council about it three days from now so that they would arrest and execute her." She gestured towards the house. "Only now he's going to tell them about it as we speak so that they will come tonight instead of three days from now."

Jazmine's eyes widened. "That's so wrong."

"Not only that, but he tells them that Matthew practices witchcraft as well." Her grandmother shook her head. "That crazy bitch."

It was amusing hearing her grandma cuss, but she couldn't think about that right then. "Why would he do that?"

"Can't you tell?" He grandmother gave her a look. "He had loved her as well. Not only did she instead fall in love with Matthew, but in his eyes, she was also taking the only family he had away from him."

"That's still stupid," Jazmine grumbled. Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers. "On my birthday, I saw this fire. And she was screaming for Matthew, but-"

Her grandmother nodded, sighing. "That fire is what is going to happen in a few hours. He is going to die."

Jazmine frowned, shaking her head. "I'd much rather _not _stick around for that."

Her grandmother nodded, holding out her hand again. Jazmine took it, and within seconds she was opening her eyes, lying on her bedroom floor. She sat up, slapping her hand to her head.

"Ow!"

"I probably should have warned you." Her grandmother looked amused. "Or at least told you to sit down. You don't really have any control over where your body lands when you project outside of it."

"Is that what I just did?" Jazmine asked, her eyes growing large. "I projected?"

"Yes." She shook her head. "I would recommend you don't try it on your own."

She didn't have to worry about _that_. Jazmine nodded, shaking her head.

"Grandma." She looked up at her. "That's the guy whose soul was trapped in the locket, wasn't it? Anthony?"

She nodded. Jazmine made a face.

"How am I supposed to get him back in it?"

Her grandma frowned, her brown knitting together. "I don't even know." She sighed. "I don't know how my mother did it in the first place. I was five when it happened. My mother was like yours," She went on, shaking her head. "She didn't tell me about my powers. She made me think I was going crazy. I had to figure it out for myself."

Jazmine frowned. "So…this Anthony psycho…I mean, we weren't related, right?"

Her grandmother snorted. "Good god, Jazmine. Of course not." Her expression changed into one of concentration. "Anthony Freeman was the only child Matthew ever had. Me and my sister, Polly, were born to my mother and man named Paul Winchester from DC." She snorted. "Of course, they resented each other and only stayed together for our sake."

"Oh." Jazmine clasped her hands together. "Well, I can get rid of him with an exorcism, right?"

Her grandmother looked reluctant. "To tell the truth, I don't know." She appraised Jazmine with a severe look. "They are dangerous enough alone. But with someone as…angry as him? I don't know how it will work."

"I can't just let him walk around killing people." Jazmine shook her head. "I've got to stop him."

Her grandmother shook her head. "Be careful." Jazmine glanced at her. "He is not just killing at random. He has a point."

"A point?" Jazmine's brow knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot _spell _it out for you." Her grandmother shook her head, fading. "You have to see it for yourself…"

"Wait!" Jazmine yelled, but she was already gone. She groaned, shaking her head.

At least she knew who she was looking for and what he had done, but now she was more nervous than ever. He seemed crazy as hell. Would an exorcism work on someone as evil as him?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

This one might seem shorter than others, but bite me. Don't act like you ain't read the author's note.

...wait, you really didn't read the author's note? ...Oh...

-Kelsey


	15. Give In

So yeah, like I said before, this was also supposed to be in the last chapter. That shit was long though. Shoot. lol.

Um, there's going to be alot of magical goodness, and to be honest, I googled that shit. There's Portuguese involved. I got it off a website and if you try to translate it and don't get that mess WELL NO ONE TOLD YOU TO BE NOSY NO WAY. USE YOUR IMAGINATION, SON. Joking :P But forreal, I don't know nothing about no damn Portuguese. I took _French _in High School. Dang. So yeah, just know that my imagination wasn't _that _good. :(

Um, yeah, hope you like it, blah blah, I'm going to bed. haha.

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks ain't mine. ...Sad panda._

* * *

Give In

"Want to watch a movie?" Her voice sounded in his hear. He sighed, pulling on his shoes.

"I can't." He glanced towards the clock. _11:05_. "I have something to do."

She sounded amused. "At eleven at night."

"Yeah, actually." He racked his brain for excuses. "Jazmine's helping me with my statistics homework."

There was a pause. He pressed the phone to his hear with his shoulder.

"At…eleven…at night." Her voice was now filled with disbelief.

"Yeah."

"Huey, if you don't want to hang out, you can just say so." She sounded annoyed. "I never pegged you to be the lying type."

"I'm not lying!" He lied. He rolled his eyes, feeling completely stupid. "Damn."

"Okay." Maya's tone was serious. "Are you avoiding me because I asked you out? Because if I knew I'd make you _that _uncomfortable then I never would have asked you."

"It's not that." Huey glanced towards Jazmine's house. He could see her window opening. "I just…" He didn't know what to say, so he let his voice trail off. Across the street, Jazmine was crawling out her window. She was wearing dark jeans and a long sleeved brown shirt along with a pair of brown hiking boots. She pulled on a pair of black leather gloves before reaching with one hand towards the closest tree branch, her other hand gripping the window pane. He couldn't help but watch her. Since when was she an expert on sneaking out windows? The girl could barely walk in a straight line without falling over something. He heard Maya snort.

"You know, I should've seen this coming."

"Excuse me?"

Jazmine had gripped the branch and was now balancing both feet on the sill, kicking off and grabbing the branch with her other hand as well, swinging her legs up so that they could wrap around the wood. She began shimmying down the branch towards the trunk of the tree like some koala bear. His eyebrows lifted.

"You." Maya's voice sounded irritated. "You like her, don't you?"

"Like who?" He asked, glancing at the phone. Maya smacked her lips.

"Jazmine, dummy!"

Huey snorted. "Don't even."

Jazmine was stepping down on another branch, but suddenly she was slipping, landing hard on the branch and falling straight over to the side, tumbling into the row of bushes below the window. Huey visibly winced, shaking his head.

"I've got to go," He said, slamming the phone shut before Maya could reply. He quickly grabbed his car keys, running down the stairs and out the front door before anyone could ask where he was going. With Grandad listening to music on his new iPhone that he barely knew how to work and Riley still mad at him, he doubted anyone would noticed anyways. He ran up the DuBois' driveway, reaching the hedges just as Jazmine poked her head up, groaning. He crouched beside her, snorting.

"Very graceful."

She shot him a dirty look, brushing herself off and tugging twigs out of her hair. "Not funny," She said softly, her voice filled with pain. She winced as she crawled out the bushes. He frowned, tugging a missed twig out of her hair, which was now tangled and wild around her face.

"Are you okay?"

"You laugh first and ask later." For a moment he thought she was mad, but then she was sticking out her tongue. "Aren't you sweet."

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Walk it off and suck it up." He grasped underneath her arm to guide her back across this street towards his car.

"You're mean."

"You're just sensitive." He opened the passenger door for her, helping her inside and taking her backpack from her. She gave him a grateful look. He shook the backpack in his hand, his eyebrow raised. "This thing's kind of heavy. What's in it?"

She shrugged. "Supplies. Now, come on." She pointed to the clock on his dashboard. "It's almost eleven twenty."

"Alright, already." He closed her door, walking around and climbing in the driver's seat. "Damn. I ain't the one who fell out a _tree_…what, did you suddenly think you were a squirrel?"

Jazmine glared at him, although it wasn't an angry one. "Just drive, Huey."

The drive to the gym was quiet, mainly because Jazmine was in such deep thought he didn't bother trying to talk to her. Her eyes were closed, her lips moving as she said words he couldn't hear. By the time they reached the place, which was completely dark, she had opened her eyes again, focusing on some focal point that he couldn't see. He finally cut off the car, giving her a look.

"What are you doing?"

She glanced at him. "Making sure I remember what the heck I'm doing." She shook her head, opening her door and easing out of the car, rubbing her back. "This isn't the kind of thing you can mess up, say "whoops!" to, and go get a smoothie."

"Is it that complicated?" Huey asked, getting out and shutting his door as well. Jazmine gave him a blank stare.

"You must have thought I was exaggerating." She rolled her eyes, putting the backpack over her shoulder and walking towards the old, abandoned building, leaving him to follow after her.

The place had chains on the doors; however Huey was able to kick in a window in the back of the building. They walked through the vast room, examining the high ceilings and the bright, bluish-white moonlight that shined in through the large windows on all four sides. Jazmine stopped in the exact center of the room, her gaze sweeping one more time around them before she dropped to her knees, unzipping the backpack and rummaging through it.

"So, what exactly do you plan on doing with all this?" Huey asked as Jazmine pulled out four candles, a jar of salt, a compass, and a mechanical pencil. She glared at him.

"You just…stay over there or something." She waved her hand towards him when he merely blinked at her in response. "Go on! Shoo!"

"You had better be glad," Huey said, rolling his eyes and walking to the other side of the room. "That I don't want to mess you up." He watched Jazmine pull out a ruler, taking the pencil and drawing some large hexagon on the ground, her eyebrows scrunched together as she worked to get the measurements precise. His eyebrows rose.

It didn't matter how open-minded he was about this entire thing…it was still weird as hell.

After the hexagon, she drew five stars around it, one of them at the very top of the hexagon. She made a face, obviously thinking as she wrote a series of characters above the center star.

א…נ…ט…ה…נ…י.

He came closer, his eyes narrowed. "You…know Hebrew." His voice was filled with disbelief. She shrugged, not even glancing his way.

"A little. Just the alphabet." She leaned back, examining her work. "I don't even know if that's right." She shook her head, taking the ruler and drawing a big, even triangle around everything, tossing it aside and grabbing the salt, standing up again. She took a step back, surveying the entire thing before untwisting the jar and crouching down, gently shaking the white grains out. She walked in a slow circle, making sure it was even all the way around.

"What time is it?" She suddenly asked as she reached the beginning point, finishing it off and straightening. He checked his watch.

"Eleven fifty one."

She nodded, setting down the jar and reaching for the candles.

"So, what exactly does all of this mean?" Huey asked as she placed one at the four points of the circle, finally dusting off her hands and stepping back beside him to examine her handiwork. Her eyes narrowed. "I didn't know you did all that for an exorcism."

"Well, you don't." She looked nervous. "Since neither one of us is possessed by a spirit, I have to get it here first. This is for conjuring it." She bit her lip. "There's supposed to be the names of the Greek gods around the circle but I can't remember them all, and it honestly doesn't matter. Now, when it gets here, that's when I've got to do the exorcism." She glanced towards Huey. "I really think that when I do this, you-"

"I'm not leaving." He gave her a look of his own. She sighed, tying her hair back with a scrunchie she'd had on her wrist and sighing.

"Fine." She reached in her back pocket, retrieving a tiny box of matches and sliding it open. She hesitated before pocketing it again, facing Huey and reaching around her neck.

"Here." She pulled the locket from around her neck, standing on her tiptoes so that she could drop the chain over his head. She stepped back, pulling out the matches again and turning away, heading back to the circle. He picked up the locket, turning it over in his fingers.

"What the hell is this for?"

She sat on her knees in front of the first candle, striking a match. The bright orange flame seemed to stick out in the dim light like a beacon. She held it to the wick, shaking it out once the candle started burning.

"Protection." She rolled her eyes when he gave her a skeptical look. "Just trust me on this one, alright?"

Surprisingly, trusting her wasn't a hard thing to do. He watched as she lit the other three candles, tossing the matches in her backpack and rising to her feet again. He looked at her.

"Then what do you have? To protect you," He clarified when she gave him a confused look. She shrugged, chewing on her thumbnail and staring at the moon.

"Experience," She said softly, glancing back at him. "Time."

He had to think about it before he realized what she was asking and checked his watch again, vaguely aware of the nerves building inside of him. He wasn't used to not knowing what was coming, and he certainly wasn't used to _this_. "Eleven fifty seven."

She nodded, closing her eyes. He stared at her.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, opening her eyes again. "Just…making sure I remembered everything." She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet before giving him another look.

"You can't touch anything. None of this stuff." She gestured towards it and shook her head when his eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying you'll mess anything up. I mean when this guy gets here. Depending on how things go, you just might try to leave the circle, and you can't do that."

"May I ask why?"

"No."

"Okay, then." Wow. She sure was touchy with this. She stared out the window, frowning again.

"Time," She repeated quietly. He glanced at his watch.

"Eleven fifty nine."

She nodded, taking a deep breath and crossing over the white perimeter of the circle, stepping into the center of it and glancing at him. He stared back. She slowly lifted her hand, her fingers outstretched.

"Come on."

Huey sighed, stepping forward and pausing before stepping over the line as well, taking her hand. She grabbed his other hand as well and stepped back so that he'd have more room before glancing up at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

He nodded. She bit her lip, staring down at the floor beneath their feet and taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, lifting her chin. Huey glanced around as if looking for some instant change. The moon was now at its highest point, the eerie light pouring in so brightly that Jazmine's skin glowed in the light. He looked down at their still entwined hands before glancing at her face. Her lips were moving silently, her eyes still closed. He pressed his mouth into a thin line, glancing towards the left side of the old building. His eyebrow lifted.

There was a shadow that seemed to be moving in the corner of the room. Only, instead of normal shifting, it was as if it had a static element to it, making it flash in and out of focus. His eyes narrowed. He was dimly aware of the wind that seemed to be picking up outside, the howl of it moving through the trees. Jazmine hadn't even lifted her head.

The figured inched closer, the fuzzy edges slowly becoming clearer the closer it came. Huey swallowed. He could hear a low, mumbled whisper rising up, gradually becoming louder and louder.

"Jazmine," He hissed, but she didn't acknowledge him. Her lips kept moving and the dark shadow inched even closer, his dark eyes gleaming. The whispering was becoming even _louder_. He knew she had to hear it. "_Jazmine_."

She shook her head, not even ceasing her words. When he looked up, he could see why; the longer she continued with…well, whatever the hell she was saying, the more solid the guy's form became, the louder the voices were. Her grip on his hands tightened; he wasn't the only one who noticed it. But she didn't stop.

He could feel a cold draft on the back of his neck, but he didn't dare turn his head. This person, this…_thing_ had stopped and was just standing there, staring. His eyes were hard. His mouth was in a snarl. He realized with a start that the guy looked eerily similar to himself. He looked like…Matthew?

That couldn't be right, though. Matthew wasn't the one who had killed all those people…was he? Just as the thoughts began to rack through his mind Jazmine suddenly opened her mouth.

"Hello, Anthony."

The figure's eyes turned even colder. Huey blinked at her in surprise. She hadn't even opened her _eyes _yet. How the hell did she…

Why, after all this time, was this even _surprising _him? The figure stepped closer, finally reaching the patch of moonlight that fell to the floor. His hands were tucked behind his back.

"Hello." His tone was cool and aloof. Huey shook his head.

Grandad hadn't been lying when he said this guy was crazy as hell. Jazmine took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his. He seemed to be examining them both. His eyes fell on the circle that surrounded them before drifting up to the necklace that was around Huey's neck. His glare intensified.

"You figured it out."

Jazmine nodded. "Most of it." Even though her voice was soft the air was so still it sounded as if she were shouting. "I still don't understand why you did it."

Anthony snorted, shaking his head. He took another step forward. "Of course you don't."

"I know that you were angry at your father and my great-grandmother," Jazmine said, her voice surprisingly strong. "But they have nothing to do with us." To Huey's surprise, he tilted his head back and laughed.

"They have _everything _to do with you two." He nodded towards her. "The young, seventh generation seer and great-granddaughter to the most powerful witch of the James line. Her most powerful descendant. Her own reincarnation." His eyes fell on Huey, who had somehow forgotten he was even a part of this until then. "And_ you_, my own descendant." His expression was one of disdain. "The reincarnation of my sorry father."

Wait, _what_? Huey opened his mouth but Jazmine shook her head, returning her focus to the nutcase in front of them.

"So, you killed those people to get to _us_." She shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. We've always been here. If you really wanted us then you could have just done away with us at any time."

He shook his head, grinning madly. "You do not get it." He shook his head again, practically laughing. "You still don't _get _it. It is not my problem." He glanced towards Huey.

"You." He lifted his chin. "Do you know what that locket around your neck means?"

Jazmine glanced at him, her eyes wide. Despite himself he shook his head. Anthony smirked coldly.

"It is a symbol of my imprisonment." He held up a hand towards him. "I thank you, my great-grandson. Because of you, I was able to get out and destroy the one person I have wanted all this time-"

"You're not going to destroy anyone." Jazmine shook her head. "Not anyone else."

Anthony's eyebrow shot up. "Oh, really?" He gave her a challenging look. "And why is that?"

Jazmine smirked, dropping Huey's hands. She gave him a look before turning away from him and took a deep breath. She lifted her foot, stepping over the white line, her other foot following. Huey's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

What the fuck was she thinking?! Anthony's own lips curled upwards into a smile. She lifted her head, staring at him. He took a step forward, grinning.

"You really," He breathed, his eyes narrowing. "Should not have done that." Before he could take another step, however, she opened her mouth.

"Espírito mau na noite."

He froze, his eyes widening. Huey's eyebrows lifted.

Portuguese?

"Espírito mau que destrói minha vida-"

"Stop." Anthony glared at her.

"Não destrua não mais do que eu consigo-"

Already his form was beginning to fizzle, back to its static form. He glanced at his fingers before glaring back up at Jazmine, who wasn't letting up.

"Não destrua não mais do que eu recebo."

Uh-oh. Huey glanced outside; the wind was roaring even worse now and the voices had started back up. He started to go after her but then he remembered he'd told her he'd stay in the circle. Goddamnit.

"A negatividade não é bem-vinda O mal não é bem-vindo Em mim, em torno de mim ou dos povos eu amo."

"I said STOP IT!" Anthony yelled. No sooner than the words left did Jazmine grimace. She lifted her hand. There was a tiny, yet prominent red mark on it, a single drop of blood escaping it. She glanced up at him and clenched her fist, her eyes narrowing.

"I knew you'd be harder than the other ones," She said. He nodded, grinning.

"I didn't steal all that blood for nothing." His eyes narrowed and she winced again, glancing down at her arm. Huey stepped forward.

"Jazmine-"

"Don't you dare leave that damn circle!" She yelled, pointing at him. He stopped in his tracks. Anthony laughed.

"The great lengths you go through to protect that mortal boy are amusing," He said, snapping his fingers. "As well as your disregard for personal safety."

As he spoke, the whispering suddenly turned into loud voices; they were so loud that they practically drowned out the wind and the sudden pounding rain. Huey glanced towards the far corner where another shadow was rising, their head bowed. Jazmine noticed it as well, her eyes narrowing. Anthony shrugged as if saying 'Oh, well.'

"You know what they say." He gave her a look. "When conjuring spirits, you never know who's going to come."

Another figure rose, followed by another. Huey's fists clenched. Jazmine was studying them, as if planning out her next move in her head. Huey suddenly got an idea and snapped his fingers.

If nothing could reach him in the circle…

"Jazmine!" She glanced towards him to see the locket flying towards her, barely catching it. Anthony's smile faded. Jazmine gave Huey a dirty look but hung it over her neck again nonetheless. She took a step forward, causing Anthony to take one back.

"Espírito mau na noite," She repeated, keeping her expression calm. ""Espírito mau que destrói minha vida, não destrua não mais do que eu consigo-"

"Now!" Anthony commanded, his head whipping around towards the shadows. Huey saw it coming before she did and before he could think about it he was jumping out the circle, tacking her to the ground as one of the figures launched towards her. As it hit midair, however, it vanished. His eyes widened and Jazmine pushed him off of her, giving him an angry look.

"What the hell did I tell you?! She yelled, glancing towards Anthony, who was regaining his form. Huey pushed himself to his feet, glancing around. He saw a shadow move in the corner and grabbed her of the floor on impulse before he made out a loud whistling sound that seemed to shoot past them. Now, Anthony was the only other person there.

The only one who could be _seen _anyways.

"He's got some kind of…ally ghosts or something," He mumbled, his eyes never moving. "For some reason, we can't see them."

Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "Those _aren't_ ghosts," She practically whispered. He glanced down at her, his brown knotted.

"Then, what _are _they?"

Jazmine swallowed, fear flickering in her green eyes. "Demons."

Before he could reply there was a sudden growling sound, followed by a roar and a dark shadow flying out of nowhere, smacking straight into Jazmine and causing her to fly back, hitting the opposite wall. Anthony laughed. Huey started towards her but the there was another one that he narrowly missed being struck by by throwing himself to the ground. He rolled back up to his feet to see Jazmine wrestling with the now visible figure, who, unlike Anthony, wasn't nearly as solid and had glowing red eyes. Huey saw another shadow trailing along the floor, heading towards him, and he spun around at the last second, aiming a kick in the direction of it. His foot connected with something solid and there was an unearthly howl as the demon fell back. He rushed over to Jazmine, pulling the other demon off of her and punching him dead in the face. He fell back, gripping his head before vanishing.

_Holy shit._

Anthony was laughing in the middle of the room, his fists clenched and his eyes shut. Huey pulled Jazmine to her feet, shoving her forward.

"You chant." He fell into a fighting stance. "I'll hold them off."

"Are you _insane_?" Jazmine threw up her hands. "Huey, we can't _see _them!"

"You let me worry about that," He snapped, his eyes already scanning the perimeter. Jazmine wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, lifting her eyes to stare at Anthony.

"Espírito mau na noite." She took a deep breath. "Espírito mau que destrói minha vida-"

There was another loud yell, Huey pushing Jazmine out of the way and serving a roundhouse kick to the demon before swooping behind her and punching another one.

"Don't stop!" He yelled. Jazmine blinked, taking another deep breath. How could he see their shadows so fast?

""Não destrua não mais do que eu consigo, não destrua não mais do que eu recebo." She inhaled sharply as another high pitched whine sounded, only it was abruptly cut off less than a couple seconds later.

"Jazmine, _finish the goddamn incantation_!" Huey practically screamed at her back, spotting another shadow just in time to dodge out the way. The shadow ricochet off the wall, flying towards him again. It crashed into him but he managed to block the blunt of the hit, flipping back onto his feet just in time to kick the thing into the next dimension.

"A negatividade não é bem-vinda O mal não é bem-vindo Em mim," She went on, barely managing to keep her voice from shaking. "Em torno de mim ou dos povos eu amo."

Anthony let out a groan, cutting his eyes at her again. This time, nothing happened. He blinked at her, his eyes falling on the necklace that was now around her neck. He stepped back, shaking his head, looking less sure of himself.

""Espírito mau na noite, espírito mau que destrói minha vida. Não destrua não mais do que eu consigo, não destrua não mais do que eu recebo-"

"Get that damn girl!" Anthony yelled, although his voice was significantly less confident and his form was slowly breaking apart. There was more whispering, followed by more whining. Four different shadows began springing towards her and she closed her eyes, clenching her fists-

"Oh, no you don't."

There was a series of strikes that she heard someone receiving, followed by more hurt howling. She opened her eyes to see Huey crouched down in front of her, shooting her a dirty look.

"Could you _not _stop?" He snapped, cutting his eyes towards another slower moving shadow that was obviously trying to sneak up on him. He sprung up to his feet, meeting the invisible figure head on. Jazmine forced her eyes back on Anthony, remembering what she'd seen, remembering how he'd make her ancestors suffer…

"A negatividade não é bem-vinda O mal não é bem-vindo Em mim, Em torno de mim ou dos povos eu amo."

Anthony frowned, lifting his hand, which was beginning to fade. "What? No!"

"Espírito mau na noite, espírito mau que destrói minha vida."

A sudden golden light burst through Anthony's hand, so bright that Huey had to scrunch his eyes up to see. He pulled Jazmine out of the way of another figure.

"Não destrua não mais do que eu consigo, não destrua não mais do que eu recebo."

Anthony was becoming severely disfigured now; he stumbled back, attempting to regain his composure. Huey spotted a long block of wood a few feet away and grabbed it, racing back to Jazmine just in time to swat another demon with it. There was a low, whistling sound in the air as it flew past. The wind beat mercilessly against the building.

"A negatividade não é bem-vinda O mal não é bem-vindo Em mim!" Jazmine yelled, covering her ears with her palms. Huey was in front of her, smacking the translucent figures away as if he were in some batting cage. Anthony let out a short cry of agony. "Em torno de mim ou dos povos eu amo!"

"NO!" Anthony shrieked, finally breaking apart, his figure bursting into flames. Jazmine jumped back, dropping her hands; Huey dropped the bat, watching with a stunned expression. With a impressively large bang he completely exploded; the force of it was so great that the wind caused by it knocked both Huey and Jazmine off their feet and caused every window in the room to shatter. Huey rolled over Jazmine, covering her as well as his own neck with his jacket as the wind blew the shards throughout the room. There was a loud, piercing shriek that practically made his ears bleed out. And then, there was silence.

He waited a few moments before slowly sitting up glancing around the gym. It was so silent that it was almost scary. Jazmine gingerly pushed herself up as well, blowing her hair, which had come loose at some point or another, out of her face. She took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Oh, my god." She shook her head, swallowing. "That has to have been the worst exorcism _ever_."

"You think?" Huey replied gruffly, dusting himself off. She gave him a concerned look, grabbing his arm with her hands.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice cracking and her nails digging into his shoulders. He nodded, sitting up and gently pushing her back. He rubbed his head.

"Yeah." He blinked, slowly moving his head from side to side. "Are you-"

"Yeah." She eased back, sitting on her heels and picking at bits of the broken glass. She sighed, shaking her head and letting out a snort. "I can't believe I actually thought it would be okay for you to be here when I tried that," She mumbled, closing her eyes. "I was so stupid."

Huey gave her a look. "You weren't stupid. As a matter of fact," He pointed out. "If I weren't here, you probably would have died. So, I'm not seeing the whole "I was stupid" aspect of this-"

"I _was_." Her eyes opened again and she gave him a look of her own. "This…_this_-" She gestured to the candles, the broken glass, the wide room that only had the moon as a source of light. "-is not where you belong." She snorted again, going back to the glass. Her hands were shaking. "It's not for you to worry about."

"It is."

"How do you figure that?" Jazmine asked, her voice sharp. She looked at him. "This is completely out of your element! You don't have visions that make you look crazy to the outside, you don't have to worry about some dead person popping up out of nowhere! At least not _usually_," She elaborated. "You don't have out-of-body experiences! You're normal, Huey!" She shook her head. "You're normal and there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with it…but it's wrong for you to be _here_."

"Says you." His eyes narrowed. "What, you think you can do this entire thing alone?"

"Yes!" Jazmine threw up her hands, her voice bouncing off the empty walls. "I _am_! It's a part of what I am!" She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm _supposed _to be alone. As a medium, as a seer, as a…whatever I am, I'm not meant to work with anyone. It's not normal. I am _not _normal."

Huey shook his head. "You're wrong."

"I'm _not_. God, you don't understand!" Jazmine clenched her fists. Maybe it was this entire thing catching up to her, but all of a sudden she just felt like screaming. "I'm not my own person! I'm a reincarnation!" Her tears glued her eyelashes into tiny triangles. "What I was meant to be was decided before I was even _born_. Even if I am different than my great-grandmother was, it doesn't even matter." She shook her head. Huey's eyes narrowed.

"Everyone has choices, Jazmine." She glared at him through her tears. "What, you think I'm kidding? People are born into negative situations every day. Every minute. It doesn't matter where you come from."

"You're _not _comprehending it!" Jazmine let out a tiny sob. "I can't move on from my problems, or move away from them like normal people can! My problems are everything that I am!" She snorted, even though there was nothing funny about the situation. "Do you know what it was like before I even got to Woodcrest?"

Huey didn't say anything.

"I was bullied." Jazmine practically laughed; she couldn't even believe that she was talking about this, especially after what had just happened. "Everyone thought I was crazy. _Everyone_. I was locked in supply closets at school, teased, people stole my stuff…I got beat up just because I was different!" She swallowed, trying to keep from choking up. "They broke my _arm _and the faculty wouldn't even punish them because they thought I was crazy, too! I had to change schools. I had to try my best to not exist. That's how it feels!" She sniffed. "It feels like I _don't _exist. And I _can't. _I can't exist like this. I'm supposed to be alone."

He was regarding her with a careful expression; his features calm and neutral. She stopped picking at the glass, giving up altogether. "God_damnit_." She let it clatter to the floor again in tiny, crystal-like specks, swallowing heavily.

"You could have _died_," She said, meeting his gaze with her wet eyes. "You could have been killed, because of _my _stupidity. Because I've let you be in on this for too long. I started depending on you and I can't do that."

He opened his mouth but she cut him off.

"This isn't for you," She went on, running her hands over her face. "I'm supposed to wipe your memory, and you're not supposed to know about any of this. But I _can't_." She rested her palms flat on the floor in front of her, her hair falling over her face. "It's so selfish of me, but when I'm around you, I feel like I _exist. _And that's bad. That's really bad. And it's unfair for me to expect you to understand any of this. You're only human."

Huey snorted. "_I'm _only human?" She glanced up at him. He slid closer on his knees, shaking his head and staring into her eyes. One of his hands drifted up to rest underneath her jaw, his fingers pushing her hair behind her ear. He shook his head.

"You _dumbass_." He gave her a "duh" look. "So are you."

She blinked at him, a single leftover tear dropping from her eyelashes. He leaned closer, lowering his head towards her. She backed away, shaking her head.

"Wait," She whispered, but he ignored her, instead coming even closer so that his lips connected with hers. At first she started to back up but he only slid closer, his other hand resting on the base of her neck. After a few seconds she felt the last traces of her resistance fade away and she leaned forward on her hands and knees, kissing him back.

She didn't know how long it lasted, but after a good minute she felt herself running out of air so she lifted her head, giving him a surprised look. He stared back.

"Okay." She exhaled sharply, glancing around the destroyed building. "We were just attacked by demons. We just conjured and exorcised a ghost. We were almost _killed_…and you feel like kissing."

He shrugged, thinking about it. Then, he nodded.

"Pretty much."

She blinked, then let out an amused snort. "Okay." She glanced at him, feeling her face color. "I just wanted to make sure we had that worked out."

"Noted." He shook his head, giving her a look. She grimaced.

"That…it wasn't like some kind of reflex or anything, right?"

Huey's expression was dumbfounded.

"Because I mean, after something that…_crazy _happens," She said weakly, pointing towards the mess around them. "You tend to get lost in the heat of the moment of things-"

Now he just looked annoyed.

"-and I know you liked Maya, and-" She broke off, shaking her head and letting out a little laugh of disbelief. "I can't believe we just almost died and I'm talking about who you _like_-"

"Jazmine." He looked bored. "Shut up." Before she could react he was kissing her again, the shocking sensation of it so strong she forgot everything that had just transpired in the first place. She let her hands rest underneath his chin while his own hands drifted down to her waist.

There was the moonlight, spilling over them. There was the late night breeze, filtering in through the broken windows. There was the silence. And there was them.

She didn't think she'd ever appreciated the quiet so much in her life.

* * *

Yay! You should review! DO IT, DAMN IT! FEAR ME! FEARRRRRRRRR MEEEEEEEEEEE.

...or not. You can stop looking like that now. Yeesh.

Thanks for reading! :D

-Kelsey


	16. Rewind

Wow, a lot of people really thought that the chapter before this one was the end! LMAO. Aw, come on. You know I'd warn you guys :P  
I will say, however, that the chapter after this one is indeed the last one, so this will finish up at 17 chapters. Sweet. I like that number :D

So, thank you to Leka10, insert psuedonym, and MzMinni3 for the reviews! I will just say right now that this chapter was my most favorite to write of all of them. It is also the longest since I didn't feel like breaking up chapters again. It wouldn't flow right if I did so.

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks. It ain't mine. Nope._

* * *

Rewind

When the next morning came she felt as if she'd been hit by a truck.

Like, seriously.

Jazmine groaned as she rolled over in her bed, trying to ignore the prominent aches that shot through her. She lifted her head from her pillow, glaring at the clock. _6:45 am_.

Traitor clock.

She managed to make her way up to her elbows when she heard a knock on her bedroom door and her dad walked in, munching on a biscuit.

"Hey, Jazmine!" He said cheerfully before swallowing. Jazmine inwardly groaned, flopping her head back into the pillow. "You're gonna be late for school if you don't get moving!"

"Ugh." She closed her eyes. "Do I _have _to go?" She hadn't even gotten home until around two thirty since her and Huey had to clean up all their crap, they'd had to drive back home, and…

Okay, well no one _had _to spend forty five minutes kissing in his car in the driveway, but that wasn't the point! She was tired! It was _early_. She heard her dad chuckle.

"I don't have to go in until later." He backed out of the door again. "If you hurry up and get dressed then I'll drive you." He gave her a look when she lifted her head, shooting him a dirty look. "Okay?"

Jazmine sighed.

"Honey, tomorrow's Friday," He pointed out. "If you can get through today and tomorrow then you'll have the weekend to sleep away." When Jazmine merely pulled the covers over her head and rolled back over in response he shook his head, walking over to the bed and lifting the covers off her feet, grabbing one of her ankles and tickling the bottom of her foot. She let out a scream, frantically kicking her legs around and thrashing underneath the covers.

"Daddy!" She wailed. "Dad, _stop_!"

"You seem pretty awake now!" He laughed, not letting up on his evil tickling. At least not until Jazmine's free foot swung up, knocking upside his head and causing him to fall over a few seconds later. Jazmine bolted up, her eyes wide.

"Daddy!" She hopped out the bed, running over and crouching down beside Tom as he sat up on the floor, rubbing his head. "Daddy, it as a reflex! I'm so sorry!"

"It's…it's okay, honey." He seemed dazed as he stood up, shaking his head. Jazmine slowly rose to her feet as well. "You just…come on downstairs when you're ready for school. I'll be in the car. Okay?"

Jazmine nodded. She wasn't even going to try to protest now. He walked out the room, closing the door behind him. Jazmine flinched as she heard him let out a painful howl outside the door. She flinched.

Whoops.

She glanced towards the windows. It was raining; the sky was a dark grey, the rainwater was pouring down in torrents. She sighed.

She did _not _feel like going out in that…

Then, she remembered that Huey would be at school as well, especially since she'd overslept and he had definitely left already. She felt her face break out into a smile.

Well, _fine_. Maybe she could handle another day of school…

By the time she was done showering, brushing her teeth, and pulling a t shirt and some jeans on, it was already 7:05, which meant she only had five minutes to get to school.

Well. That wasn't happening.

She ran down the stairs, grabbed her raincoat out the hall closet, scooped up her backpack, and threw open the front door. When she finally made it into the car she happened to glance in the rearview mirror and noticed Huey's car still sitting in the driveway.

Well. She wasn't the only one who had overslept. Only, unlike herself, he rarely ever did. That was so unlike him that she felt her eyebrows shoot up.

"You ready to go, honey?" Tom asked. She nodded and he backed out of the driveway, shifting into drive before starting down the street. Jazmine slowly eased back in her seat, resting her cheek on her hand and staring out the windshield.

Maybe he wasn't going to school today. Last night had been pretty brutal, so it wasn't as if that would be out of the ordinary.

It's just…she shuddered.

Something didn't feel right.

---

When he'd awakened, he'd felt like crap.

For one thing, his head was killing him. For another, he hadn't been _this _sore since he'd trained nonstop for three weeks to reach his next degree black belt. And for another…

He just felt unbelievably, undeniably, sick.

That had to be what it was. One moment he was burning hot and the next he was freezing, his teeth practically chattering. The increasing intensity of the storm outside wasn't helping much, either.

Huey pushed himself up, ignoring the searing pain that ran through his head when he did so. His throat was burning. He hoped he wasn't coming down with anything. He slowly got out of bed and made his way to the door, cracking it open. He listened, but he didn't hear anything.

"Grandad." He croaked, wincing and swallowing heavily before trying again. "Grandad!" His yell sounded like a hoarse whisper. He sighed, slowly closing the door and going to his window. He peeked outside the blinds.

Dorothy was gone.

Where the hell did he have to go at seven in the morning? Huey let the blinds close, sighing. He knew for a fact that Riley wasn't home; he'd intercepted the phone call from school the day before so that grandad didn't know he was suspended. He had probably went to the mall or to Ed Wuncler the third's house. As long as he wasn't out in the rain getting into trouble, he didn't care. He slid back into the bed, squeezing his eyes shut.

Geez. He hoped whatever this was wasn't contagious.

He thought of the night before as he smashed his pillow over his head. He sighed.

Well. He supposed that when he got over whatever this was, he'd have to tell Maya he'd made a decision. He wondered how mad she'd get when he told her no.

Better yet, he wondered if he'd have to help Jazmine get a restraining order when she found out about them.

A sudden sharp brain shot through his head and he groaned, rubbing his head. There was a loud clap of thunder, and for a second he thought he heard a low, quiet laugh.

Huey bolted up, the pillow dropping to the floor. His eyes narrowed as he stared around his room. He didn't _see _anything…

He hadn't imagined it. He knew he hadn't.

In an instant he was on his feet, glancing around his room again. When he still didn't see anything after a few moments his shoulders slumped. He sighed, opening his door again and going into the bathroom. When he clicked on the light, the bright fluorescents made his head pound even worse. He closed the door, resting his palms on the sink and staring into the mirror, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He shook his head, sighing and closing his eyes all over again.

_Kill her._

His eyes opened.

Oh, he _definitely _wasn't imagining things. He glanced behind himself through the mirror's reflection but still, nothing. His eyes narrowed, but when another sharp pain hit his head he closed his eyes tightly all over again. He heard a loud clap of thunder sound outside, so strong that it shook the floor underneath his feet.

_Don't fight it. You'll only lose._

The voice was louder now. He spun around, throwing open the door and stepping into the hallway, staring around the entire perimeter before making his way back into his room. He flipped the light switch, heading over to his closet.

So, bitches wanted to play with him? That was fine. He opened his closet door, glancing inside. If they wanted to play, he could play, too.

And by play, he meant bust a cap in every last one of these ghosts' asses.

When he heard another laugh he whipped around, still seeing nothing. He let out a groan of frustration.

_You don't have to look far._

He threw down the gun, stalking to the center of the room. "Where the hell are you?" He snapped, his eyes hard. There was a low chuckle.

_You'll never find me unless you look within._

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Huey rushed into the dark hallway again, glancing around. A flash of lightning lit up the second floor. "If you're so bad then come out here and face me!"

_I don't need to do that. I have you right where I want you._

Huey shook his head, starting towards his grandad's room, but stopping when he passed the bathroom. He had left the door open, which meant he'd seen his own reflection when he'd passed by it. Only, he thought he'd also seen something else.

His head now had a dull, ringing sensation ebbing through it but he ignored it, flipping on the bathroom light again and peeking in. His shoulders slumped.

Nothing.

He was going crazy. He lifted his head towards the mirror, his eyes narrowing. He stepped towards it, leaning forward and staring at his reflection. He didn't see anything, but his eyes…

They were darker. Noticeably darker. They were so dark that they looked close to being black, a far cry from their lighter auburn. He blinked, but the color didn't change, so his eyes weren't playing tricks on him…

_Do you see, now?_

He shook his head, his eyes narrowing.

_You do. _

Huey blinked. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

He couldn't see where the voice was coming from. Not because the guy was invisible…

It was because he was hearing the voice in his own head.

"Holy-" He started, but before he could get the word out he felt his throat closing on his. He stared back up at the mirror as it suddenly began to ripple along the surface as if it had become water. He stumbled back as Anthony himself came through, stepping down to the floor and smiling coldly.

_I knew you would figure it out._

The scary part was that when Anthony spoke, he didn't even open his mouth. He didn't have to. Huey heard it in his mind, as clear as day, as if someone was whispering right into his ear. And he knew why. He could finally see why.

"Well." Anthony glanced around before locking gazes with him. He cracked his knuckles, taking a step forward. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

And then, he suddenly launched at him. Huey didn't even have time to react before he was hitting the floor, so many images flashing in his mind at once that he couldn't even register them all. He could hear a loud, cold laughter. He could feel the pain rising in his head like an inferno, and then he didn't feel anything at all. He felt his mind go blank and his own thoughts faded.

And then, it was black.

---

He hadn't shown up for homeroom.

Jazmine sat in her desk in Spanish, her great-grandmother's diary open and her eyes scanning it. Everyone else was working on their verb conjugation but she couldn't focus. Not when she had the inkling that something was horribly wrong.

She'd taken out the diary to read the rest of the story, to try and calm her thoughts. From April of 1921 to July of 1923 the entries were all short and bland. It was only when she got to August 17, 1923, that it got interesting again. Only, instead of reading about Matthew and Anya finally getting together, she flipped to the end. She didn't know why, but she just had to know how it ended.

_'May 26, 1948_

_This is the last entry I will be writing. I cannot continue to make an account of all the events in life that have brought me pain. Nor can I risk anyone ever finding this._

_Anthony came after me today. How he found me, I do not know. However, I have taken care of him. He tried to kill me, but I managed to kill him and bind his spirit into my mother's locket so that he may not return in the form of someone else. The only way to destroy him once and for all would be to burn the necklace, but I cannot bring myself to do it. It is all I have of my mother. As long as I never open it, I will have no more worries of him._

_I only worry that one day, it will fall into the wrong hands.'_

There was more, but Jazmine hurriedly shoved the book away as Mrs. Martinez shot her a dark look from her desk. She pretended to be writing something in her notebook and the woman rose up, as if trying to see if there was even any work on her paper. Jazmine quickly scribbled down the first thing that came to her mind.

_Henry Underwood._

Mrs. Martinez's eyes narrowed. She rolled her eyes.

_Elsie Yarbrough._

Well. She might as well keep going.

_Fran Rodriguez._

She didn't know why Anthony's victims had come to mind out of anything else, but at least it got the teacher off her back. She sat back down and Jazmine sighed, pulling the diary back out. At least, she started to.

She glanced back at the paper, her eyebrows lifting. She put the book down, picking her pen back up and writing the next name.

_Ethan Etheridge._

Her eyes widened.

_Mariah Anderson-Nelson._

She and Huey thought that there was no correlation between them, any of them. But they hadn't tried to write out their names.

_"This man comes out of nowhere and tells me he wants my name. Next thing I know, I'm dead."_

His name…

_"I cannot spell it out for you." Her grandmother shook her head, fading. "You have to see it for yourself…"_

Spell it…_spell it_. She hadn't been talking figuratively, she'd meant literally! Ethan Etheridge had said the guy wanted him for his _name_…

She glanced at all the names, whipping out her pen and circling the first letter of each of their names, the first and their last.

_H…U…_

_E…Y…_

_F…R…_

Her breath caught in her throat.

_E…E…_

_M. A. N._

She dropped the pen.

_Huey Freeman._

"Shit!" She yelled, causing the entire class to look at her. Mrs. Martinez sat up.

"Ms. DuBois!"

Jazmine started to reply, but suddenly stopped.

_He was lying on the floor, the figure walking around his body in a slow, wide circle. His hands were tucked behind his back. His eyes were narrowed._

_"If she knows what is good for you," He said in a low voice, talking to his unconscious form. "She will come."_

"Mrs. DuBois!"

Jazmine looked up from her spot on the floor. She'd fallen out of her desk as she'd seen Anthony…with Huey. Her heart stopped dead in her chest.

Anthony was still alive. And all this time he hadn't been after _her_. He was after _Huey_.

Damn it!

She jumped up, ignoring her classmates' worried glances and hushed whispers and grabbing her book, racing for the door.

"Jazmine!" The teacher was so angry she had forgotten to speak Spanish. "Where are you going?"

Jazmine ignored her, pulling open the door.

"Jazmine!"

She let it slam behind her as she ran down the hallway, not even bothering to stop by her locker for her raincoat. She pushed through the main doors of the school, stopping in her tracks.

The weather had turned completely chaotic. Lightning was flashing through the sky as fast as a strobe light. The wind was so strong that the rain seemed to pelt her like bullets. She ran down the steps, racing across the street.

She didn't have enough time! Huey's house was a good three miles away and she could barely run three miles in quick enough time when it _was _a good day! She felt tears of frustration build and swiped at them with her already soaked sleeve. Before she could start running again, there was a bright pair of headlights falling over her and she turned, squinting to see into the custom designed mustang. The passenger window rolled down.

"Need a ride?"

Jazmine's eyes widened. Cindy was staring at her with a calm expression on her face, one hand on the steering wheel as she leaned over the passenger side. She'd gotten out of their Spanish class _fast_. She blinked, her mouth falling open. Cindy rolled her eyes.

"You're messing up my upholstery, DuBois."

Jazmine nodded, opening the door and climbing in. She didn't even have time to worry about whether Cindy was doing this to ultimately beat her ass or whatever. She pulled the door down, buckling her seatbelt as Cindy pulled away from the curb. Her blue eyes glanced towards Jazmine.

"You blanked out in class."

She nodded, biting her thumbnail and staring quietly out the window. Cindy faced forward again, shaking her head.

"Where do you need to go?"

Jazmine hesitated. Cindy gave her a look.

"Do you need to go home?" When Jazmine didn't reply she sighed. "Jazz, come on. Look, I know we're fighting, but you were obviously freaked out about something. Just, wherever you need to go, I'll take you. I won't ask any questions."

Jazmine swallowed, sitting up and looking at her. "Huey's house," She said quietly. Cindy nodded, stepping on the gas so that they shot down the street. As she drove, Cindy shot Jazmine an occasional glance.

"You know my mom's new boyfriend?" She shook her head, snorting. "He's a complete loser."

Jazmine lifted her head.

"He hits her." Cindy frowned, her eyes narrowed as they focused on the road. "He treats her like shit and she just won't _leave _him. It's so…stressful because whenever I'm home I have to listen to them argue. I have to lock my door at night just so he won't come after _me_. Caesar's the first guy I've really, _really _trusted. I got angry when you doubted him. I got even angrier when you compared me to my mom. It made me think of her dumb boyfriend. It made me feel like you thought I was weak."

"I don't think you're weak," Jazmine said quietly; they were finally in her neighborhood. Cindy sighed.

"I know." She shot Jazmine a look. "I took out my feelings on you. And I'm sorry."

Jazmine nodded, glancing down at her feet. They pulled up to the curb and she quickly opened the door, jumping out. She turned back to Cindy.

"We'll talk about this later." She grabbed the door handle. "Thanks for the ride."

Cindy nodded, pulling away the moment the door shut. Jazmine turned towards the Freeman house, lifting her head to stare up at Huey's window. She didn't see a light on. She didn't see _any _lights on.

She really hoped that he was okay.

She ran up the driveway, climbing the steps to the front door and lifting her fist to knock. When she gently rapped her knuckles against the door, however, it gently creaked open. She dropped her hand, inhaling sharply. She took a deep breath to steady herself before pushing the door open wider and stepping inside.

"Hello?" She called out softly, slowly closing the door behind her so that it made a soft click. She took a step forward, her hands at her sides. "Huey?"

There was no response. She walked slowly through the still, dark house, hating the way her wet shoes made squeaking sounds on the floor and how the already cool air around her was even colder due to her soaked through hair and clothes. She stepped into the living room, glancing around.

"Huey?"

There was no one there. She walked further in, turning in a slow circle. The lightning illuminated the room in a quick flash. She went into the kitchen. He wasn't there, either.

She backed up, walking faster to the foyer and gripping the stair railing, looking up to the second floor. "Is anyone home?"

There was another crash of thunder, this one louder. She started up the stairs, her left hand on the rail and her other hand trailing up the wall in case she could trigger something. Nothing came.

Inference.

"Huey?" She slowed her steps as she reached the top of the stairs, dropping her hands off the railing and glancing down the dark hallway from the landing. "Are you okay?" There was another flash of lightning, the thunder pounding instantly. She took another step, stopping and swallowing heavily. She tried to ignore the building dread that was filling her insides. Finally she shook her head, starting forward.

She couldn't be scared. Not if he was in danger. She crept down the hallway, careful not to make too much noise. She paused outside Huey's closed doorway, resting her hand on the door and closing her eyes, taking a deep breath.

No vision. Not even a flicker. Nothing.

She bit her lip and let her hand drift down to the doorknob, flinching as she turned it and slowly pushed the door open.

Huey's room was not only darker than the rest of the house had been, but it was also _cold_. She let out a small gasp of surprise at the temperature, her breath making tiny wisps of fog in the air. She took a step inside, her green eyes narrowing to make out the familiar form on the bed. His eyes were closed, his hands resting on his stomach. She exhaled.

Was he sleeping? She shook her head, walking over to the bed. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

"Huey." Her voice was a whisper, but the whisper was all it took since his eyes slowly opened. He blinked up at the ceiling before slowly glancing towards her. Jazmine winced.

His eyes…they were so _cold_. They were even colder than usual. She shook her head, stepping closer.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly. He looked at her. "I…I had a vision at school. I thought I saw Anthony here, and you were unconscious-"

He shook his head, his hand moving away when she reached out to touch it. She drew her own hand back, giving him a look. She frowned.

"Huey, are you okay?" She gazed down at him with worry in her eyes. He nodded, staring down at the floor. She took a step back, turning towards the door.

"Okay, then." She felt stupid. Anthony was dead. They'd gotten rid of him the night before. It was just…well, her visions were never wrong. Ever.

"Jazmine."

She glanced back over her shoulder to see Huey staring at her with an urgent expression in his face. His eyes were back to their regular colors, his fists clenching the mattress on both sides. He was doubled over, as if in pain. He shook his head, taking a deep breath. Jazmine's eyes widened with concern. She started towards him but he shook his head, holding up a hand. She stopped.

"Don't." He grimaced, inhaling heavily. His voice was hoarse. "Run."

Jazmine's expression fell into one of confusion, but she backed up to the door nonetheless. Especially when no less than a second later did his expression suddenly smooth over and he straightened. He glanced back up at her, his irises darkening. Her eyes widened.

Huey was…possessed.

"_Fuck_," She gasped, ducking out the door and slamming it shut behind her as she saw him getting up. She ran towards the stairs, pausing at the top.

Wait. No! She glanced back towards the door, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She couldn't leave him like this! Anthony could kill him!

The door suddenly flew off the hinges, flying to the floor with a large thud. She screamed, holding on to the banister as Huey stepped into the doorway. He glared at her.

"Huey." She took a deep breath, shaking her head and trying to keep her voice open. "It's me."

He walked towards her, shaking his head.

"Huey, snap out of it!" She yelled desperately, backing down a few steps when he continued to advance on her. Before she could run down the stairs he reached out, grabbing her by the neck of her t shirt and dragging her towards him. She stared into his eyes with a pleading look, gripping his arm.

"It's _me_!" She said, swallowing. There was a flash of lightning. "Please-"

She let out a scream as he suddenly shoved her back and tumbled down the stairs, her limbs flailing all over the place and her head smacking the bottom step as she hit the floor below. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, bracing herself as he started down the stairs. She pushed herself up to her feet as quick as she could, limping to the front door and grabbing the doorknob. She wrenched it open, but then he was grabbing her, tugging her away from the door.

"No!" She yelled, holding on to the doorknob as tightly as she could. He gave her a hard tug and her hands slipped off of it as he dragged her back, further down the hallway. "Stop!" She yelled, beating on the arm that was around her neck and tugging at it, tears building in her eyes. "Huey, stop!"

He didn't pay any attention. She kicked at his legs in an attempt to trip him but all he did was tighten his arm around her throat so that she felt her windpipe constricting. She closed her eyes, wincing and tugging at his arm.

"Let me _go_!" She wailed. He dragged her into the living room, paused, and shrugged.

Then, he dropped her onto the carpeted floor so that she on her stomach. She tried to push herself up but his foot came down to press down on her back, forcing her face down into the carpet. She managed to turn her head just in time to see him brandishing a knife.

"Huey, wait!" She screamed, her eyes widening and the tears already starting to fall down her face. "This isn't you! You have to fight it!"

"He can't hear you," A sudden voice to her right said mildly. Her head whipped around to see Anthony standing in the corner, his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face. Jazmine glared.

"How the hell are you even here?!" She asked, trying to crawl out from Huey's weight. He shook his head, sighing.

"The blood I took from those victims wasn't for fun, girl," He said, snarling. "It was so that I could grow stronger. So that when I took over a body, I'd be able to fully control it." He nodded towards Huey, who was staring at Anthony, completely still. As if waiting for another command. "So that when he kills you, I can destroy his own soul and take over his body. I can live again and experience the life _your _past life took from me."

"Anthony, don't." Jazmine shook her head, tears falling down her face. "Leave him out of this! Just take me! Please." Her face crumpled. "Let him go."

Anthony tilted his head back, laughing so loud that the crashing thunder couldn't even drown it out. "Silly girl!" He yelled, shaking his head. "It is not _you _that I want to punish!" He pointed towards Huey. "My own father picked some woman, some…_witch_, over his own flesh and blood!" He smirked. "I want him to know how it feels to lose someone he loves and know that it was his own fault." He began to pace, his hands behind his back.

"I couldn't overpower him before when I was first released, because I was not strong enough." He shook his head. "I had to kill first. I had to get something human, something that would keep me tied to the earth. What better substance was there to use but blood?" He cut his eyes towards her. "And then, I couldn't get anywhere near him because you had that _damn _locket, and I was completely powerless around it." He shrugged. "When I killed enough people, four people, I tried to possess him, but he was stronger than I anticipated. He thought he had a stomach virus-"

"It was _you_." Jazmine's eyes narrowed. He laughed, nodding.

"-and I had to let him go. I had to kill one more person. After that, your locket had no power over me, and he didn't have enough strength to resist me." He laughed. "He should have listened to you when you warned him to stay in that circle. It was the only protection he had. Of course, you would have most likely been killed by my demons." He sighed, shrugging. "If that would have happened then we wouldn't be having the fun we are now."

"Just let him _go_," Jazmine pleaded, swallowing. "Anthony, he is not Matthew. And I am not Anya. And if you could just-"

"You do not understand!" Another flash of lightning lit up the room. "You and Anya are one in the same, as for him and my father! The two are interchangeable!" He threw up his hand angrily. "Don't you wonder why you have always been in love with him? Do you not see how he fell for you so quickly? You stupid girl!" He glared at her. "It does not matter if you two would have been born on different _continents_! There is no one better for you on this earth than him and vice versa! If you were to try and find anyone else, even without ever knowing each other, neither of you could do it!"

Jazmine swallowed, her eyes filling with even more tears. Anthony pointed to him again.

"That boy," He said, his voice practically a growl. "Completes you. And whether he would have realized it or not, you would complete him. And I-" He shook his head. "I refuse to forgive you. I refuse to forgive either one of you." He suddenly glanced towards Huey, snapping his fingers.

"Kill her."

Jazmine's eyes widened as Huey slid his foot off of her back, kicking her onto her side. She sat up as he raised the knife over his head, the blade glowing hauntingly from the lightning-

"Wait!" Jazmine screamed, throwing up her hands. "Huey! Stop!"

Anthony laughed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Huey bent down with his free hand, grabbing her collar and holding it in his fist as he crouched down, the blade still clenched in his hand. He glared down at her coldly, he almost black eyes completely void of emotion. Her face crumpled.

She was going to die. They were _both _going to die.

"Don't do it!" She sobbed tearfully as he lifted it again, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and staring into his eyes. "I need you to fight it! I need you to listen to me!"

Huey didn't reply, but Jazmine noticed a slight, almost unrecognizable flicker in his eyes. She let her hands drift down to the hand at her throat, squeezing it.

"Stop." She shook her head, her eyes soft. "You don't want to do this."

"Don't listen to her." Anthony pushed off the wall, frowning. His eyes narrowed. "I told you to kill her and that is what you're going to do. You're going to kill her! _Now_!"

"You're not a killer, Huey!" Jazmine yelled, her throat clogging up. Her grip tightened. "I know you! He doesn't! You wouldn't hurt anyone you didn't have to! You wouldn't hurt _me_-"

"She's lying!" Anthony shot back; Huey had paused, slowly glancing between the two of them. "Don't let her try to sway you!"

"Please don't do this." Jazmine sniffed. "I don't think you're capable of it. I really don't. Because-" She swallowed. "I trust you. And I…I love you."

Huey's eyes narrowed, no different than what they'd been before. Jazmine felt her breath leave her lungs. Anthony laughed, stepping forward.

"I told you, girl." He shook his head. "He is not strong enough." He glanced towards Huey. "Now. Kill her."

Huey's arm lifted and she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Everything was silent around them, minus the noise from the storm outside. She took a deep breath, slightly relaxing after a few seconds

Why hadn't he killed her yet? She would have looked, but she was too afraid to open her eyes. She didn't want to see it…

Only, she suddenly felt Huey's grip on her loosen, followed by the sound of something sharp hitting the ground. She opened her eyes just in time to see Huey wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

"Jazmine." His voice was low, his face buried in her hair. "I'm so sorry."

Jazmine's eyes widened. She felt tears spring up all over again, only this time it was from relief.

"Huey." She hugged him back, closing her eyes. "I knew you could do it."

"NO!" Anthony screamed, causing them both to lift their heads. He stormed forward, pointing towards Huey, who glared up at him.

"You may think you're free of me," He said, shaking his head. "But you are my vessel. You opened that locket, you are _my _descendant, and I can overpower you at any time!" His eyes narrowed. "Like _now_, for example-"

Huey suddenly groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and backing away from Jazmine, opening his eyes long enough to give her a look. "Get out of here!" He told her. She shook her head.

"No!"

"Jazmine, _go_!"

"I'm not leaving you!" She yelled. Anthony laughed as he continued to writher on the floor.

"There is no way to get rid of me!" He yelled over Huey's yelling. "I am a part of you! The only way you will be rid of me is when you die yourself! _Now_!" He glared towards Jazmine, who backed away, staring up at him with a horrified expression. "Kill…the girl."

Huey stopped, sitting up.

"No!" Jazmine yelled. He reached for the knife again. "Huey!"

He lifted the knife, turning towards her. His eyes were back to that dark, haunting black…and then, something in them changed. Jazmine saw what he was about to do before Anthony could even react.

"No!" She yelled again, springing up and reaching for him. He ignored her, bringing the knife down so that it came crashing down into his own chest. Anthony's eyes nearly bulged out the sockets.

"NOOOO!" He screamed, his pain filled howl blending in with Jazmine's own shriek. She crawled to Huey, who had fallen onto his side on the floor as Anthony let out another ear splattering, unearthly howl. There was a sudden wind that picked up, blowing all around them. Anthony shook his head, backing away. "NO!"

He was suddenly dissolving, as if made of sand, the particles flying around through the room before shooting towards Jazmine. Her eyes widened, but before she could react the tiny door on her locket flew open, the wind rushing inside of it. As the last of the screaming and the wind died down the locket closed again, a tiny click on the side of the clasp falling into place. Jazmine's eyebrows lifted and she quickly pulled it off, dropping it on the floor.

She really didn't feel like wearing that thing anymore.

A soft moan from behind her caused her to spin around. Her faced balled up. "Huey, what were you _thinking_?"

"I was thinking," He rasped, trying to sit up. "That I didn't want to spend the rest of my…life…being possessed and fighting the…urge to…kill you-"

"Stop." She scooted beside him, resting her hands on his face. "Don't move. You'll make it worse."

"Make it _worse_?" Huey rolled his eyes, grimacing. "I have a knife…sticking out of my chest. It can't…get much worse-"

"Stop talking so much!" Jazmine yelled, causing him to blink at her in surprise. She jumped up, searching in every direction. "You've gotta save your energy!" She went over to the phone, grabbing it off the hook and pressing the talk button. "I'm going to call an ambulance-"

"Jazmine."

"-and they'll come get you, and everything will be okay-"

"_Jazmine_-"

"_What_?" She glared at him through her tears. "What, Huey?!"

He barely shook his head, blinking at the ceiling. "I'm…not going to make it. Otherwise…he wouldn't have…gone back."

Jazmine shook her head, holding the phone up to her ear. "Hello? Hello? Damn it!" She threw it so that it hit the wall, gripping her head in her hands. "The lines are down."

"Stop." She glanced towards Huey, who was staring up at her with a calm expression in his eyes. She let out a choked sob, shaking her head.

"You can't, Huey." She pressed a hand to her mouth, her tears spilling over. "You can't die."

He exhaled heavily. Jazmine tried to keep her eyes off the knife that was protruding from his chest, along with the dark red blood that seemed to be pulsing from the wound. He let out a laugh, wincing.

"Everyone's got…to die. Someday."

"But not today!" Jazmine cried, dropping to the floor and crawling beside him. She gripped his hand in both of hers, crying freely now. "You're not supposed to die today, Huey!"

He closed his eyes, snorting. "They…weren't kidding when they…history repeating itself…"

"You're not funny!" Jazmine sobbed, resting her forehead against his hand. She heard him sigh.

"I don't…want the last thing…I remember to…be you crying."

She lifted her head, staring at him. His breathing was more shallow now, his eyes hazy. She swallowed down the lump that had risen in her throat.

"This is my fault," She whispered. He shook his head.

"It's…no." He sighed, taking a heavier breath. "Don't…blame yourself…"

"Then who am I supposed to blame?!" She cried, closing her eyes. She heard him exhale.

"Did you…mean it?" She opened her eyes again. "What…you said?"

She had to think about it before she realized what he was talking about. She nodded, pressing her lips together to keep from sobbing. He nodded as well, grimacing.

"If…I had to do it over…" He looked at her. "I would."

She burst into tears all over again, resting her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes. Her own eyes widened.

"Huey." She sat up, slightly nudging him. "_Huey_." When he didn't answer her she started full out shaking him, her eyes so blinded by the tears that she could barely see him anymore. "Huey!" She dropped her hands, taking a hold of the knife and pulling it out of his still chest, hurling it aside and throwing her arms around him. "Please! Don't _leave _me!" She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in his neck. "I need you…"

She tensed as she felt an odd tingling sensation erupt in her fingertips, as well as her toes. The feelings grew stronger, rushing through her veins, through her blood, feeling as if electric pulses were generating. Then, she felt an odd release of pressure, along with a cold wind that whipped at her face. She opened her eyes.

She was standing on some rocky surface, the same rock that covered the ground as far as the eye could see. The sky was a bright orange, the sun on the western horizon even brighter than usual. She squinted, covering her eyes with her hand and looking around. Her eyes widened when they fell on Huey, who was examining himself as well, his eyes wide. He was completely, one hundred percent stab wound free. He looked up.

"Where the hell _are _we?"

Jazmine shook her head, glancing around. "I don't know." She noticed two people suddenly appearing behind him and took a step forward. "But maybe they do."

The two people walked towards them, their hands entwined. As they got closer, Jazmine's eyes widened. Huey's eyebrows lifted.

"No, way," He said. The couple stopped in front of them, staring back at the teenagers.

"It is nice to see you again, Jazmine," Matthew Freeman said, nodding towards her. Huey gave her a look.

"You've _met _him?"

"It's…a long story." Jazmine glanced back at him before letting her eyes fall onto Anya, who did not look nearly as grumpy as she had the morning after her sixteenth birthday. The woman nodded as well.

"I am impressed." There was a hint of a smile on her face. "I did not learn to project until I was twenty."

Jazmine blinked. Huey looked confused.

"What?"

"I…I didn't know that was what I was doing." Jazmine rubbed the back of her neck, frowning. "I just knew that he was dying and I didn't want to lose him-"

"So you brought him here unintentionally." Anya nodded. "Instead of simply passing on to the afterlife his soul is now in limbo."

Huey's eyes widened. "You mean…I'm _not _dead?"

"Not yet." Anya frowned, shaking her head. "But you will be. Soon."

Jazmine shook her head. "But, if he's in limbo-"

"You cannot just bring someone's soul back and give them life again without their being something given in return." Matthew shook his head. Jazmine's fists clenched.

"Then give me an option," She said angrily. He glanced towards Anya, who nodded, before looking back at her.

"A life for a life."

"Done." Jazmine nodded. Huey's jaw dropped.

"Jazmine, have you lost your mind?" He glared at her. "I'm not letting you give up yourself for me!"

"Well, I'm not letting you die!" Jazmine shot back fiercely. "So I guess we have a problem."

Anya cleared her throat, causing everyone to glance at her.

"There's time and a half," She said. "Half a person's life span, along with the age the person they want to save was before they died."

"Done."

"Jazmine!"

"_What_?"

"You can't just say done without considering any of what you're agreeing to!"

Jazmine rolled her eyes. Huey glared at her, his eyes softening as he glanced towards the other two.

"What else?"

Matthew and Anya glanced towards each other, exchanging reluctant looks. After a long pause, Matthew sighed.

"We can reverse time."

Jazmine's head lifted. Huey blinked.

"We can go back to the beginning of your sixteenth birthday to keep Huey from releasing Anthony," Anya said gravely. "Of course, it has setbacks."

"Like what?" Jazmine asked. Anya lifted her fingers.

"For one," She said, glancing at Huey. "You would have to keep Huey from discovering your secret."

Jazmine blinked. She glanced at Huey, who nodded.

"Okay."

"Two." She looked at Jazmine. "You would have to become a guardian."

Jazmine made a face. "Ex_cuse _me?"

"I told you." Anya shook her head, her hazel eyes calm. "Renewing someone's life. It comes at a price. You will have to be a guardian. That meant not only would you have to help every ghost that came to you for help, but you'd also have to escort them to the afterlife using the astral plane." She paused. "It is a lot more dangerous than being a regular medium. While you are outside of your own body, it can be taken over by any spirit that feels inclined to do so. There will be a lot of ghosts, demons, warlocks…they'll want your power. It is not a common thing."

"If it's not so common, then why are you offering it to me?" Jazmine asked. Anya snorted.

"Well. I could not be the only guardian in the family." She paused. "Another option, if you were not to become a guardian, would be to lock your powers. You would have to do either one, and it would have to be before twenty-four hours after time is reversed. Either you have it all, or you have nothing. That is the choice."

Jazmine's eyes narrowed. Anya glanced towards Huey, her eyes softening.

"The third part," She said quietly. "Would be that once you go back in time, he will not remember any of this. Anything at all."

Jazmine frowned, glancing at him. He didn't look like he felt much happier about the situation. She glanced back at her great-grandmother.

"Nothing."

She shook her head.

"Even…" She swallowed. "Things not related to me having powers?"

"He is a mortal," Anya pointed out in a grave voice. "His memory will not know what has not, in actuality, happened. You will remember because you have powers. But he-" She nodded towards Huey. "Will remember nothing. No feelings, no events, no conversations. It will be as if it never happened."

Jazmine swallowed, staring at the ground. "…Oh."

Anya gave them both a sad look. "I am so sorry." They both looked to her. "I am sorry that these are the only choices you have."

Jazmine glanced towards Huey, who knew exactly what she was thinking.

"We can still be together," He said, staring down at her. She shook her head sadly.

"We can't." She sighed. "You won't remember me even having feelings for you in the first place. You won't even remember if _you _had them or not. It'll be like before all of this happened." She lifted her hand, letting it flop back to her side. "We'll barely acknowledge each other's existence."

Huey exhaled through his nose. Jazmine slowly turned towards Matthew and Anya, closing her eyes and nodding.

"But none of that matters." Her eyes were filling. "Not if it'll save his life." She took a deep breath, feeling her heart breaking with each word. "I'll do it."

Huey closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Anya nodded.

"Done."

To Jazmine's surprise she had tears in her eyes as well. Matthew wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She turned to Huey, nodding.

"Well." She sighed, trying not to cry. "It was nice while it lasted." She held out her hand, staring up at him. He glanced down at her hand, looked back up at her eyes, and shook his head.

"We can do better than that." He stepped forward, taking her face in his hands and bending down, kissing her. She stood up on her toes, her hands rising up to rest on his wrists. She tried to remember everything about this moment, the final kiss they'd have, that she possibly could. Even when she felt the plane beginning to dissolve around them, even as the feeling of his fingers in her hair and his lips on hers faded away.

And then, she was taking a sharp breath, bolting up. She glanced around her room, her eyes widening with surprise. Her eyes instantly fell on the clock on her beside table.

_6:18 am_, it read in bold, red lines. _September 9._

She gasped, jumping out of bed just as there was a loud knock on her door. Her head whipped towards the door as it opened, her parents bursting in, a plate of blueberry pancakes with a candle sticking out the middle in her mother's hands. They grinned at her.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They chorused. Jazmine blinked, staring at them, frozen.

And then, she was shoving past them, ignoring their noises of protest as she ran down the stairs, tugging open the front door. "Jazmine!" She heard her mother call from the landing. She stopped, glancing back up.

"I'll be right back!" She yelled, sailing out the open door and running across the street, early morning dew causing wet grass to stick to her feet. She didn't care. Nevermind that she was in a pair of boxers with terriers and paw prints plastered all over them or a dark green t shirt with no bra under. She ran up to the front door of the Freeman house, pounding on it as hard as she could. She rang the doorbell a few times too for good measure. She backed up as she heard yelling from inside the house.

"…better not be none of them damn boy scouts! Shoot, always tryin' to get my money, they know I'm old…boy! Go get that door!"

"But grandad." Jazmine felt her air leave her lungs as the familiar voice came closer and closer. "You were right. Here."

"I ain't ask you where I was!" Robert hollered. "I asked you to get the damn door-"

"Alright!" The front door flew open, exposing a head shaking Huey. Jazmine's jaw dropped. He blinked at her, surprised.

"Jazmine?" He glanced at her. "What are you doing here?" He gave her a glance over, his eyebrows lifting. "Really."

She gaped at him. He was alive! The early morning sun was casting its golden rays over him, making his skin practically glow. His eyes were back to their rich mahogany, his expression so classically Huey, so amazing, wonderfully _there_, that she couldn't control herself. She flung her arms around her neck, hugging him.

"Whee!" She laughed, letting him go and completely ignoring his shocked expression. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

He gave her a look. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?" Jazmine's smile faded. He felt her forehead, his eyebrow arching. "You haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid, have you? Taken any weird looking drugs? Drank too much of the purple stuff?"

Jazmine shook her head, staring at him. "I just…" She shrugged. "I just felt like coming to say hi."

"At six twenty in the morning." He checked his watch, rolling his eyes. "That's pants on head retarded, but okay." He looked bored. "Well, is there any _real _reason you came by?"

She shook her head again, taking a step back and turning on her heel. "No."

'I just had to see you…' She thought to herself. Behind her, she heard him pause.

"Hey."

She glanced over her shoulder. He shrugged.

"Today's your birthday, right?"

Jazmine pressed her lips together to keep from crying. She nodded. He nodded, his hand on the door.

"Well. Happy birthday."

Jazmine nodded, giving him a slight wave. "Thanks." He closed the door and she walked back across the street just as her parents came out, briefcases in hand. They smiled at her.

"There you are!" Sarah rubbed her hair. "We were wondering where you ran off to."

"Oh." Jazmine shrugged. "I just had to tell Mr. Freeman something."

Sarah nodded, eyeing her. "You look sad. What's wrong?"

"Honey, we've got to go if we're going to beat traffic," Tom said, sailing past them. He quickly stepped back to kiss Jazmine's forehead before heading to the car. "Happy birthday, sweetie!"

"Thanks," She said. She shook her head, going into the house. "And it's nothing, mommy." She stopped at the doorway. "Have a good day."

Sarah slowly waved, frowning. "You…too, sweetie."

Jazmine closed the door, slowly walking up the stairs. Huey was alive, and that was all that mattered. If that was the case, though…why did she feel so bad?

She wandered back into her room, spotting the pancakes on her nightstand. She walked over, lightly blowing out the candle and flopping listlessly on the bed, resting her hands in between her legs. She sighed, glancing to the end of her bed. Her eyebrows lifted when she saw a plain, white envelope, addressed to her. It was sitting on the edge of her bed. She slowly reached over, grabbing it and sitting up again as she tore into it. She pulled out an old, faded piece of paper, her eyes growing larger with every word she read.

_To my great-granddaughter,_

_I don't know you, but you will be of my own and that's all that matters._

_I already know that you will do great things, greater things than even I was capable of doing. You will also, however, be faced with more difficulties, more decisions. I was not strong enough to make the right ones. I hope that the decisions you make are ones that you will be able to live with as you go on in life._

_I have left you something that I need you to guard with your own life. Do not ever open it, or you will not be able to handle what comes out. It will be too strong for you. It will consume you and those who you love. _

_You will be born a month early and you will be a girl, despite what doctors have to your family. You will walk the line between the living and the dead, and you will be isolated from those around you. You will love but it will not be enough. However, do not be discouraged. Sometimes it can come back in ways unimaginable to the human mind._

_This letter may be short, but I hope the point comes across all the same. I hope that you can be spared the pain and heartache I had to face in my life. I hope that you realize that as a part of who we are, we are meant to be alone. Do not let it get the best of you. Just let it go. And remember, I am always with you._

_Anya_

Finally. The letter. The letter than probably would have kept her out of this entire mess.

Jazmine folded it back up lying down on her side and hugging her pillow to her chest, curling up into a ball. She clutched the letter in her fist and squeezed her eyes shut.

And then, she let herself cry.

* * *

Well. I hope I don't get _too _many death threats for this one... :P

Next chapter: last one! So be prepared. (See? I warned you!)

And if you got ANY kind of emotion out of this chapter then I'd better get a review. Because my sensitive ass cried _twice _while writing this (one time was because my brother smacked me in the eye with his kiddie boombox...but that's besides the point). So yeah, thanks for reading!

-Kelsey


	17. Acceptance

LAST CHAPTER LAST CHAPTER ZOMG!!!!!111!11!!!!1!1!one!!!1!1!111!!!!  
...O_o

BIG thanks to everybody who favorited, and reviewed, and alerted, and clicked on the same chapter five different times to make it look like my story was getting more hits so I'd feel better about myself...sniff. Haha, just kidding. Also, thank you of course to MzMinni3, MizzC, vikki, and Leka10 for the reviews! I feel all accomplished and shit. I'm usually so bad at completing stories and this is my third one. So yay!!! :D

Um yeah...I'll stop talking you to death and let you read now...but seriously! I hope everyone enjoyed it! :D

_Disclaimer: The Boondocks still isn't mine. Nah._

* * *

Acceptance

"Jazzy!" Cindy burst into the room without knocking, stopping in her tracks and giving her best friend a look. "What the hell are _you _doing?"

Jazmine looked up from where she was sitting on the floor, a thick, ancient looking book open and her chin in her hand. She shrugged as Cindy crouched down beside her, staring at the page.

"To lock one's powers." Her eyebrow lifted. "Huh?"

"I don't know," Jazmine said quietly, shrugging again. "It's an old book my mom found in the attic. I was just looking through it."

"An old spell book? _Cool._" Cindy plopped down beside her. "This like new age shit. We should try to _do _something out of here!"

"Let's…not." Jazmine gently closed the book, stretching and glancing towards the clock. Cindy noticed.

"You weren't at school today."

"Thanks for telling me. I barely noticed."

Cindy gave Jazmine a light fresh. "Come on, girl! Something's up." She frowned. "What's wrong?"

Jazmine shrugged again.

"Don't give me that." Cindy shot her a dirty look. "It's your _birthday_. You can't be this miserable on your birthday!"

"I'm…sick," She lied, glancing towards Cindy and putting a weak expression on her face. That was all Cindy needed.

"Whoa! Okayyyy." She quickly rose to her feet, speeding to the door. "I'm gonna go crash in your guest room. Or should I say my vacation spot. Peace!"

"Bye." Jazmine shook her head as she slammed the door behind her before getting up and walking over, locking it. She leaned against it, rolling her eyes before crawling back to her spot on the floor and turning to the page again. Her eyes skimmed it, her lips moving as she tried to commit to memory what she'd need.

Candles. Incense. A bowl and some water. A pentacle in a triple moon.

Wow. This wouldn't be hard at all. Just as she got up to get everything there was a knock on her door.

"Jazmine?" The doorknob rattled. "Honey?"

She inwardly groaned, kicking the book shut with a socked foot and striding over to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open. Tom was standing in the doorway, giving her an odd look.

"What were you doing?"

She shrugged, making a face. "About…to change into my pajamas?" She lied. It did the trick since he cleared his throat suddenly, looking flustered.

"Well, is it alright if I talk to you for a moment?" He asked. Jazmine stepped aside, opening the door wider.

"Um…okay." Tom walked into the bedroom, sinking down onto the corner of her bed and resting his hands on his knees. His suit jacket was off, the sleeves on his white collared shirt rolled up to his elbows. "What's going on?"

Tom gave her a smile, patting the spot beside him. "Sit down."

She gave him a wary look before slowly shuffling over, plopping down beside him and tucking a foot underneath her. It wasn't like him to walk in her room and decide to have a chat for no reason. Sure enough…

"There's a gift that I wanted to give you," He said, going into the pocket of his pants and withdrawing a small wrapped box. "I figured you'd appreciate it more if I didn't embarrass you by making you open it at the restaurant."

She smiled up at him before focusing her attention of the pink and white paper, gently tearing at it. After the paper fell away she lifted the lid off the velvet red box, her eyes widening when she saw what was inside.

"It's…beautiful." She lifted a silver bracelet out the box, examining the four different charms that hung from it. "Thanks, daddy."

He nodded, examining her expression.

"I know your mother and I work a lot," He said, making her glance up at him. "And I know you feel we haven't always been there for you. That you can't come to us for things."

Jazmine shook her head. "Daddy, it's-"

"It's not okay." Tom gestured to her. "You are such a wonderful girl, and you're growing up to be a beautiful woman. For you to be so withdrawn all the time when you are so great to be around-"

"Don't worry about it." Jazmine shook her head. "Really."

Tom nodded, staring forward. For a moment neither one of them spoke. Then, he gently took the bracelet from her, holding it flat in his palm so that the charms gleamed in the light.

"You see this symbol?" He asked. When she nodded he smiled. "It's the Chinese symbol for peace." She blinked up at him. "Not enough people take enough time out of the day to realize that worrying so much over things that you can't or can control can take its toll on you. Too much worry, it can weigh you down." He smiled at her. "Don't sweat the small stuff. And it's _all _small stuff."

She didn't say anything; she let her eyes fall to the floor, clasping her hands in her lap. He went on, pointing to the charm beside it.

"This one," He continued. "It means happiness." He looked at her. "Do you know when the happiest moment of my life was?"

Jazmine shrugged, glancing up. "Um…when you got married?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, if your mother asks you, then yes," He joked. "But no." He looked off, a bemused expression on his face, as if reminiscing. "I remember how on this day, sixteen years ago, I got a call telling me that my _son _who wasn't due until October seventeenth was already on the way. And when I got there, your mother was already begging the doctor to give her drugs or just kill her-"

"Alright, daddy." Jazmine shook her head, smirking.

"The point is," He said, rolling his eyes. "Was that when you finally came and you were a _girl_, a beautiful, tiny little girl, and I got to hold you for the first time…I've never felt so much happiness in my life. You know you're named after my mother, right?"

Jazmine gave him a look. "Grandma's name is Ella, and you hate her."

"I don't _hate _her." He shrugged. "She's…just not one of my favorite people." He shook his head. "When I was growing up she was my best friend. Every year for mother's day I would get her flowers. Jasmine. They were her favorite. She liked how they only opened at night, as if concealing their true beauty and showing it to those who were worthy of it." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "When you were born, you didn't cry. You just opened your big brown eyes and-"

"_Brown_?"

"They were brown when you were born!" He poked out his lower lip. "You're interrupting daddy's story, Jazmine." She raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, you just looked up at me, and then you went to sleep. Of course that changed when you got home because you never stopped crying then, but-"

"Daddy." Jazmine snorted. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed, obviously put out that she wouldn't let him ramble on. "The point is that you reminded me of my mother's favorite flower. Even when you were growing up. You would never play much with the children your age, you were quiet and withdrawn around strangers and even your mother and I…and then I'd walk past your room to see you dancing to your little radio, or smiling at a book. Everyone else had to fight to get a smile out of you, and we practically had to sneak up on you just to see what you were doing. You were a private person, but then when no one was around, you opened up. Just like that flower."

"…So, I only expressed myself at night? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, smart mouth." He snorted. "My point is that you shouldn't just be happy alone. You should be happy no matter what you do in life. In everything you do, everything you see, and everything you hear, you should be able to find the happiness, and not worry about what doesn't make you happy."

Jazmine nodded. "It took you that long to tell me that?" When Tom poked her in the side she squirmed away, giggling. "Okay, sorry."

He shook his head and pointed to the next one. "This third one," He said. "It says love." When Jazmine made a face he nudged her. "Love makes the world go round. You have to be compassionate for people. You have to love others. You can't survive without it."

She snorted. "Yeah, right daddy."

He shook his head, pointing to the final one.

"This one," He said quietly, making her turn her head towards him again. "This one, it means strength. It's what you have a lot of, even when you think you don't. I know you feel sometimes that life isn't very fair-"

No kidding.

"-and things don't always work out the way you want them to, or how you expect." He shrugged. "But, at least they work out. That's all anyone can ever ask for." He pat her shoulder. "And I don't mean physical strength. I mean the strength to accept things for how they are and learn from it. To know that despite adversity, despite hardships and heartbreaks-" She visibly flinched. "-you keep living. That's all you have to do."

Jazmine swallowed, a lump rising in her throat. Before Tom could react she was throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly she made his shoulder pop.

"Thanks, daddy," She said again, this time with feeling. She sniffed, closing her eyes. He hugged her back, kissing her forehead. She let him go and handed her the bracelet, standing up and giving her a look.

"I want you to be all those things," He said seriously. "To be happy and peaceful. I want you to never be afraid to love people. And I want you to be strong, like I know you can be."

It was like one of those sappy _Seventh Heaven _episodes that Riley used to laugh at her for watching religiously. She nodded, sniffing again and blinking back tears. Maybe she was being a baby, but with all that had happened…his words were surprisingly helpful.

"Okay." He nodded, heading out the door. "Daddy?"

He glanced back.

"I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too." He closed the door behind him and she regarded the bracelet with a contemplative expression. Would giving up her powers, something that had always made her _her_, make her weak? Would it, in the end, make her happy? Or would she regret it like her mother had told her she did? She thought back to what had happened and shook her head, her hand clenching around the bracelet.

She couldn't be a guardian. She just couldn't. She'd met one in her life, back in Boston. He was completely miserable, alone, and had much more power than she'd ever be comfortable with. He was always doubting people because so many people would go crazy wanting what he had. It was a blessing and curse all in one. That's what she'd always considered her powers to be; A curse.

If she gave them up, she could be a mortal. A perfectly normal, happy mortal. She wouldn't have to abide by rules telling her who she could love and who she could talk to. She wouldn't have to deal with dead people or see things in her mind. She could be _normal_.

But…was it really what she wanted? She sighed, closing her eyes. Truth be told she didn't know _what _she wanted. But with less than twelve hours before her decision had to be made. She couldn't stay the same, that much was known. Either she'd have to gain power she wasn't sure she'd be able to control or she'd have to give it all up. She opened her eyes, nearly jumping out of her skin.

"Holy-" She stopped, resting a hand over her heart and glaring ahead. "Who the hell are _you _guys?"

The four women standing there were glancing around, taking in their surroundings. One of them, a short girl with extremely short brown hair and blue eyes put a hand on her hip.

"Stopping you from making a mistake," She said, her eyes narrowing. Jazmine's eyebrows knotted together.

"What?"

"Allow me to introduce myself." A tall woman with long, wavy red hair and green eyes stepped in front of the others, clasping her hands together. "I'm Lena James." Jazmine blinked. Lena turned and gestured to the others. "This-" She pointed to a woman with curly black hair and eyes just as green. "-is Emma, my mother."

The woman gave a slight nod, smiling slightly. She pointed to the fourth woman, a blond with her arms folded over her chest and piercing dark eyes. "This right here is my grandmother, Fira. And this-" She pointed back to the short girl, rolling her eyes. "Is my miserable great-great grandmother, Eimile."

"_I _ammiserable?" The woman snorted, rolling her eyes. "That is not what your father said last night! That is what the young people say now, right?"

"Grandmother." Emma closed her eyes, shaking her head. "That is not a very flattering thing to say about my husband."

"He was your _ex-husband_, dearie!" She shook her head. "You know marriages never last in our family!"

"Actually," Jazmine couldn't help but point out, wincing as all four heads whipped towards her. "My parents are still married."

"Right." Eimile snorted again, glancing at Lena. "Your great-granddaughter who locked her powers to appease some man, right?"

Jazmine blinked, shrugging. "Maybe she thought it was the right thing to do," She said, jumping to her mom's defense. "I don't blame her."

"Of course you don't." Emma gave her a dark look. "You don't see anything wrong with giving up, _obviously_."

"I'm not _giving up_." Jazmine glared back. "I'm not _happy _this way. I don't want my powers."

Emma shook her head, sighing. Eimile bit her lip. Fira, who hadn't spoken, cleared her throat.

"It is hard," She said, causing everyone to look at her. "To be so young and burdened down with so much responsibility. I understand." She clasped her hands together and gave Jazmine a knowing look. "I really do." She shot dirty looks towards the others. "You hypocrites." She seemed to have the most influence out of the four since everyone else stopped talking. "Lena, you fell in love with a mortal who was killed. Emma, you ran away with a man who ended up leaving you once he discovered your secret, at least that is how I remember it."

Emma frowned.

"As for you, Eimile, you old bat." Fira shook her head. "You murdered father after he threatened to expose you-"

"It was not murder!" Emile cleared her throat. "It was self defense."

Jazmine tilted her head to the side, giving them a funny look. Her family was so _dysfunctional._ Fira turned towards her.

"None of us got our powers until we were sixteen," She explained calmly. The others nodded in agreement. "The only other person in our family who has was Lena's daughter, Anya. She also had wanted to lock her powers, but decided against it. It was a good thing as well, since that crazy son of her lover came looking for her-"

"We all have such a way with men," Lena said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Fira shook her head.

"What I am trying to say," She continued to a befuddled Jazmine. "Is that when we all received our powers, we saw it as a gift. As something we could appreciate, something that made us special." She gestured towards her. "You had it for as long as you can remember with no guidance, no confidant. It isolated you. It ostracized you. And I can completely understand if you do not want it any longer."

Jazmine nodded.

"However," She went on, her expression kind. "You are forgetting all the good that you have done with it. You have saved lives, you have given others peace of mind, you have helped those pass on who were too afraid to do it on their own."

She swallowed. She hadn't really thought of it that way.

"And that boy?" Fira waved her hand. "That boy would not even be alive without your powers. Am I correct?"

She was, but she didn't feel like pointing it out. "I had overslept that morning," Jazmine said, holding up her hand. "Getting a ride with him, it was a complete mistake-"

"There are," She replied calmly, yet firmly. "No mistakes."

Jazmine blinked.

"You never reading Anya's letter was no mistake." Her eyes narrowed. "Neither was you failing to save that man, you making that deal to rewind time. You were born with what you have, and there is absolutely no mistake about that." She let her hands clasp in front of her. "To give it up would be a shame all in itself. You have no idea how powerful you really are, how powerful you can be if you just give it a chance."

She rested her palms on the bedspread, obviously considering her words. "But-" She lifted her head, blinking in surprise.

They had all disappeared.

She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. She glanced down to the book in the floor. She swallowed before pocketing the bracelet and sliding off the bed to pick it up. She lifted it, examining the thick cover. Then, she walked over to her closet, opened the door, and threw it inside.

_There are no mistakes._

She had been right. If she didn't have her powers then she never would have stopped Huey from getting in that car accident. Riley would have gotten hit by that truck, and Maya would probably die from her aneurysm. It could be hard to deal with sometimes, but…well, she'd get over it. At least, she hoped so. There was a sudden, loud knock on her door and she sighed.

"Who is it _now_?"

"It's me, foo!" Cindy's voice whined through the door. "Open up! There's a spider in my room and I'm _scared_."

"What makes you think I want to kill it?" Jazmine shouted back tugging the door open. Cindy ran in, closing the door and leaning against it, shaking her head. Jazmine rolled her eyes at her best friend as she pouted.

"Can I sleep with you?" She practically begged. Jazmine snorted, shrugging.

"Yeah. Whatever."

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Cindy flopped on Jazmine's bed as she cut off the light, sprawling out on one side and letting out a mock snore. Jazmine snickered, lying down on the other side and rolling onto her side, pulling the covers up to her chin. She glanced at the clock. It was after midnight.

In about eight hours from then, she'd be starting a new chapter of her life all over again. Somehow, she didn't feel so bad about it. She felt Cindy nudge her shin with her foot.

"So, did you have a good birthday?" She asked sleepily. Jazmine yawned.

"Sure. Yeah."

They got quiet again.

"Hey, Jazmine?"

"Huh."

There was a pause. "Don't ever change." Jazmine blinked. "Okay?"

She smiled softly to herself, closing her eyes. "Okay."

If only Cindy really knew how much her words meant to her.

---

_November 3, 2010_

_"Seventeen, tight jeans, and she bout it  
Wife beater T, pretty teeth, yeah she got em  
Her body commands your attention-"_

"Caesar, what the hell is your ass talking about?" Cindy asked, walking up to where he was leaning against the wall at school that Wednesday, strumming away on his guitar. He grinned at her, setting the guitar aside.

"Baby!" He gave her a hug. "Feeling better, I see."

"Much better." Cindy stepped back and did a tiny twirl, showing off the skirt and matching top she was wearing, shrugging. "I've never been so glad to be out of hospital clothes in my life. Stupid appendicitis." She pointed to his guitar. "But seriously, what are you doing?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "I lost a bet to Hiro so I'm supposed to sing this ugly, stupid old Chris Brown song in our Music Theory class. I also have to wear a sombrero."

Cindy laughed. "Chris _Brown_?"

"Man, Chris Brown wack ass!" Riley suddenly said, coming up to both of them. "I gets down way betta than that punk ass nigga! Shit, if you gon beat yo broad, you gotta make sure you gets away with it!"

"That was so wrong on so many levels," Cindy said, shaking her head. "I am beginning to see why you don't have a girl." Caesar nodded in agreement. Riley pointed to the guitar, sucking his teeth.

"Whateva. Man, lemme show you how it's done." He snapped his fingers towards Caesar. "Nigga, play tha damn song!"

Caesar was so surprised that he didn't even protest; instead, he picked up the guitar and leaned against the wall, restarting the song. Riley grinned. Cindy could already tell this was going to end badly.

"Uh huh," Riley said. "Yeah-"

_"Thirteen, tight jeans and she bout it  
Stealin cream, got tha green, yea she got it  
Her body's so good you'll end up goin ta jail-"_

"Uh, Riley," Cindy said, blinking. "Something tells me that's not how the song goes…" Caesar was messing up the chords severely from laughing so hard. Riley kept going.

_"Ima take you out, you pay for it  
Got sum shit ta say, I'll ignore it  
I wish yo mama would mind  
Cuz bitch, I'll knock her out, dat's fine-"_

Caesar dropped the guitar, exploding into laughter. Cindy shook her head, sighing and starting past the younger Freeman brother. "Don't quit your day job, kid."

"Shut up!" He folded his arms over his chest, poking out his lower lip. "Just like a nigga. Hatin on talent an shit."

"Uh huh." Cindy shook her head, her eyes lighting up as she spotted her best friend walking up to them. "Hey, Jazzy F. Baby!"

Jazmine rolled her eyes, stopping beside her. "I thought I asked you not to call me that?"

"I thought we established a long ass time ago that I ignore most things you say." Cindy laughed at her dejected face, throwing an arm around her shoulders and whistling. "You look _good_. Are those skinny jeans I see you wearing? And _heels_?" She inspected her eyes closer, her eyes narrowing. "And _makeup_?!"

"Whoa!" Riley started laughing. "Lemme find out dis broad decided ta finally be a girl!"

"Riley." Caesar shook his head, not even bothering to finish. He grinned at her. "Nice layers."

Jazmine smiled, running a hand through her hair. "Thanks."

"See you at lunch, baby! So!" Cindy turned on her heel, dragging her best friend along with her. Caesar shook his head, resuming his guitar strumming and ignoring Riley, who was making fun of him (or at least attempting to). "Tell me why Huey and Maya _finally _started going out?"

Jazmine snorted, shaking her head. "It was only a matter of time." They sidestepped some boy who had attempted to skateboard in the hallway and had fallen in front of them. She linked arms with Cindy, who snorted.

"Maybe he can help her learn how to function without needing a parole officer."

"That's mean." Jazmine stopped in front of her locker, twisting the combination and opening it. She paused. "Cindy, you might want to duck."

Cindy gave her a look but obediently did just as Jazmine crouched down. No sooner had they done so did a milk carton soar over their heads, smacking another girl in the back of the neck and causing white milk to spray her. People laughed as she whirled around, screaming. Cindy shot back up, blinking at Jazmine, who had gone back to digging inside of her locker.

"I will never understand how you notice those types of things," She said, shaking her head. Jazmine shrugged, not even glancing her way.

"Intuition."

"Whatever." Cindy straightened, gesturing towards Jazmine's bare neck. "What is this I hear about you and Hiro getting in trouble on Monday in anatomy class for dropping your locket in sodium cyanide?"

"We wanted to see if it would dissolve," Jazmine replied innocently, smirking. "Which, it did."

"Wasn't it your great-grandmother's or something?"

Jazmine shrugged. "She's dead so I'm pretty sure she doesn't need it anymore." She smiled, as if laughing over an inside joke. Which, unbeknownst to Cindy, she was. "And neither did I. Plus, Hiro and I didn't get in trouble. The teacher just talked us to death about playing around with dangerous substances." Before she could continued the warning bell rang and Cindy snapped her fingers. She spun around. "Can't be late on my first day back." She ran off, waving. "See you in Spanish! Bring the homework!"

"No, cheater!" Jazmine yelled back, laughing. She turned back to her locker as the late bell rang, not caring either way. It wasn't like Mr. Hall could care less. She began humming to herself, reaching up to the top shelf and trying to tug her anatomy book out. It wouldn't budge. She frowned, trying again.

Nothing.

Jazmine let out a frustrated groan, giving it a big, sharp tug. It flew out, alright…along with all her other textbooks. All of them that seemed to want to hit her, her statistics book bonking her in the eye before falling to the floor, sliding a few feet down the hallway. She cupped her eyes, grimacing. _"Shit._"

Really, with everything she was capable of doing…she _still _couldn't see this type of thing happening to her? She dropped her hand, blinking rapidly. Deeming her eye to be in good enough condition she bent down, retrieving her books. When she reached for her Spanish book, however, another hand came out of nowhere, grabbing it and holding it out to her. She glanced up, blinking in surprise.

"Oh." She dropped the other books beside her, taking the textbook that Huey was holding out to her from him and giving him a smile. "Thanks."

"Sure." He looked amused. "It never ceases to amaze me how _not _graceful you are. Considering you used to be a gymnast and all."

"_Am _a gymnast," She corrected, lifting the stack of books off the floor. She dropped the bottom two and Huey rolled his eyes, picking them up for her. He handed them to her one by one as she shoved them back into her messy locker. "I got back on the team."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks." She shrugged, offering him a smile. "Same to you." His eyebrow rose. "Well, you getting a girlfriend and all." When he gave her a wary look she rolled her eyes. "Like the entire school doesn't spread everyone's business."

He nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Good point."

"So." It was much easier to not make this awkward than she thought it would be. She glanced towards him. "Are you realizing how much you're going to miss this place yet?"

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm realizing that I probably should have just tested out of high school years ago and saved myself some time."

"Such optimism." Jazmine tugged at her backpack; it was taking up too much room. She could feel him watching her, probably trying not to laugh as she waged war on her too cluttered locker. "I'm sure…that attitude…will get you far…ahhh!"

She'd yanked it out, alright, but would up tumbling over on the process. He reached out, catching her with relative ease before she could hit the ground. She looked up at him, her face coloring.

"Um…" She regained her balance, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thanks." When he raised an eyebrow she gestured to the heels. "It's…the shoes."

He snorted. "Yes. Blame inanimate objects for your clumsiness. That sure is smart."

"Whatever." She finally got her bookbag straight, shaking her bangs out of her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be in homeroom?"

"Um, that question could definitely go both ways."

"Well." Jazmine finally took out her Spanish and anatomy book before smirking at him. "Since we never talk in the first place, I don't think it's any of your concern."

"And whose fault is that?" To her delight he fell in step beside her as she started down the hallway, her heels clacking loudly on the floor. She shrugged.

"Ain't mine."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." After a few seconds of silent walking he glanced over at her.

"Why _is _that, by the way?"

She looked up, giving him a confused stare. "Huh?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "We seem to do this thing where we walk around each other in circles to avoid having to acknowledge the other's existence."

"What?" Jazmine scoffed, waving her hand. "Nooooo." When he gave her one of his trademark skeptical eyebrow raises she shrugged. "It wasn't intentional. Just…I had some issues to get over."

He looked surprisingly unfazed by her words. "And are you over them?"

She looked confused all over again. He rolled his eyes.

"Are you over the issues?" He clarified, giving her a "duh" look. She nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, actually." She looked forward again. "I am."

"Good." Her eyebrows lifted. "Because that means I can ask you for help without feeling bad about it now."

She laughed. "Huey Freeman asking for help? That's not normal." Her jaw dropped. "Wait a minute! You're only talking to me to advance yourself?"

He snorted. "Basically." When she stuck out her tongue he shrugged. "Actually…I'm doing really…not well in statistics."

She gave him a curious look. "What exactly is "not well"?"

He visibly grimaced. "Our last exam brought me down to a seventy six."

Jazmine let out a low whistle, stopping abruptly as he shot her a dirty look. "Well…at least it's not _quite _a D?"

"And at least you're not _quite _annoying me," He shot back, glaring. She rolled her eyes.

"Calm down. I wasn't serious." She shook her head. "it's still a strong C. And the last time I checked a C is not the end of the world-" She caught his withering look and flinched. "Alright, alright! A C is horrible! Damn."

"Well, I know you've been tutoring Riley," Huey said as they paused at the end of the hallway. "And it's the first time he's had an A in any form of math in his life. Grandad was so excited had copies of his report card photocopied and mailed to everyone back in Chicago and down south." He shrugged. "So, I figured if you could work that kind of miracle that I could get help out of you, too."

She made a face. "I don't know…"

He sighed. "What, do you want me to pay you?"

"If I don't charge your brother then why would I charge _you_?"

"Because I'm black."

Jazmine blinked at him. He stared back. Finally, realizing he was kidding, she snorted.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "We'll start in class today. Okay?"

He nodded, looking genuinely grateful. "Thanks." He snapped his fingers. "Maybe you could come over after school and help me with the homework? Because we're doing that probability bullshit today still and I don't have any idea what-"

"Wait." Jazmine gave him a look. "You want me to come over _your _house?"

He shrugged. "Um…duh." He blinked. "Is that a problem?"

"No." She ran a hand through her hair. "I just haven't been to your house since we were twelve, I think."

"Sorry, do you need directions?" She swatted him, laughing. He glanced down the hallway, his eyes narrowing.

"I think you left your locker open," He said, staring down the hallway in the direction they'd just come from. Jazmine glanced down it as well. Sure enough, the dark blue locker door was hanging halfway open. "You should probably go close that."

"Yeah." She gave him a wave. "I'll see you in class, then?"

"Yeah." He nodded towards her, giving her a look that was hard to decipher. "See you in class." He turned the corner as she slowly walked down the hallway, clutching her books to her chest. A slow smile spread across her face.

Alright, so it wasn't love. And it wasn't anything like it had been before. But it was better than nothing, and being friends was definitely something she'd be willing to settle for. She'd get over him soon enough. At least, she hoped so.

She stopped, glancing over her shoulder and letting her eyes travel around the rest of the hallway as well. Nobody else was out. She knew for a fact that the two security cameras on this hall didn't work because of a short circuit that the school was too lazy to get fixed. There were no classroom windows for anyone to see out of. And she was feeling pretty lazy, so…

She stopped, glancing towards the locker. It seemed like it was forever away. Did she really feel like walking that far?

Not really. Nope.

She spun around on her heel, starting back down the hallway. She took a deep breath and snapped her fingers, feeling a bit of satisfaction surge through her when she heard a locker door slam shut from behind her.

Hey. Her ancestors weren't kidding when they said she'd be surprised what she could do if she gave it a chance.

Things hadn't worked out like they were supposed to. But at least they were working out.

* * *

So, I know there's quite a few people who probably want to Chris Brown me for that ending, but _whatever_. Shoot. :P

SPEAKING of Chris Brown, the little song that Caesar was playing (and that Riley destroyed) was that old ass song "Is This Love" by him. That song makes me laugh because in ninth grade a boy in my class made up a pedophilia version and was singing about 14-year-old girls. Teehee.

Um, a few notes before I go to a _few certain people _(ahem):

**FAQ's (which, were ironically messaged to me from people who were reading yet never reviewed. Hmm...)**

**1) You stole this from Charmed, didn't you?  
**Ah, yes. I got an idea for a plot that has been around for _centuries _and twisted it around, but I totally _stole _it. Ugh, I am such a terrible, horrible person.

**2) You know in all your stories it's Huey/Jazmine?  
**...You don't say. Word?! :O

**3) Did Matthew and Anya get together? Cause wouldn't that make Huey and Jazmine related?  
**I thought I clarified it but maybe I didn't. Yes, they wound up together, but then homeboy kicked the bucket. They didn't have any children together. Jazmine's great-grandmother ended up marrying someone else. Huey and Jazmine are not related. Heavens no.

**4) You thought about doing a prequel?  
**There's not a point. I mean, I could do one for say, Matthew and Anya and their family history and whatnot, but I'm 99.9% sure no one's going to give a shit so what's the point? lol.

**5) You didn't say what song you used in chapter 13!  
**Holy shit I didn't! AAAAIHHHH!!!!!- Yeah, it was Acapella (Something's Missing) by Brandy. My b. DON'T SUE ME. I AM POOR.

**6) That was messed. Up.  
**Mission accomplished.

**7) Sequel?  
**Huh. About that...

* * *

_April 25, 2016  
Washington, DC_

Mondays were probably the worst thing invented. Especially _this _Monday.

"Here." Twenty-two year old Huey Freeman looked up from his report and his coffee as a thick manila folder crashed down on his desk, making a heavy thump. He gave his secretary, Denise, a bored look.

"Hello to you, too," He muttered sarcastically, taking a long gulp of coffee and sighing, trying to wake up. He was usually a morning person but he hadn't gone to bed until practically an hour before he had to wake up again, a completely fun experience.

Not.

Denise rolled her eyes. She was a twenty-six year old black girl with a short, layered hair cut and hazel eyes he liked to refer to as the color of mold whenever he was arguing with her to stop screening his calls from his ex-wife, not to put so much damn milk in his coffee since it was bad enough he was drinking it in the first place, and getting defensive over his decision not to dress like a complete tool and instead wear _normal _clothes unlike everyone else in the FBI building did.

What_ever_.

"What's so good about it?" One of the few reasons Huey hadn't given her the boot like he had the other four secretaries he'd gotten before was because for one, she was impressively smart contraire to what people liked to believe. For another, she was sharp enough to keep up with him whenever they got into it (which was all the damn time). She leaned over his desk, taking it upon herself to pour a cup of coffee for herself. She was lucky he was too tired to yell at her, which was how the other mornings always went. Instead he nodded, holding up his cup.

"Huh. Good point."

"Yeah. Thought so." Smartass. She reached behind her to grab a manila folder off of her desk, tapping it with a perfectly sculpted fingernail before handing it to her. "Congratulations. Your first kidnapping case."

He rolled his eyes, sitting forward and setting down his coffee. "Excellent." He took it from her, dropping it on his desk and leaning back in his chair, resting his socked feet on the edge of his desk. "Thanks." He took another long sip of coffee and, realizing that she wasn't making any effort to bust a move, gave her a look. "You can leave now.

She sat in the chair in front of him, the exact _opposite _of leaving, folding her hands neatly in her lap and smirking. "My ass. That case?" She pointed to it, smirking and running her hands over her pencil skirt. "It's bad. Bad bad. You're going to wish you'd picked another department, or just gotten a part-time job working at the burger shack down the street instead of here." She leaned forward. "That's the case Shelley was on. He broke down. They found another body earlier this morning? He couldn't handle it."

His eyebrows lifted. "Broke down?" He shook his head. "He's a thirty-two year old man who's almost seven feet tall and could probably bench press this building!" He looked back down to the folder. "So, this is the big one that everyone's been talking-"

"Yup."

"So why the hell are they giving it to _me_?" He snorted.

"I don't know." She shrugged lightly. "I guess Mr. Boss Man thinks you can handle it."

He wasn't so sure about that one. Of all his co-workers he was probably the youngest one to be hired with the least experience. Call him ambitious or crazy, but somehow the higher ups had decided that he'd be the perfect candidate for the FBI. He'd only applied for a part time position in linguistics to help get him through grad school after completing his undergrad a year early and wound up becoming an agent after walking in on a meeting looking for the bathroom and being able to tell a panel of fifty people who their killer was after hearing a fraction of the conversation in a good three seconds. While it was a good thing for him, there were a lot of people pissed about it being that he didn't have the required three years' work experience, he was possibly the _only _part-time agent they had (along with some Swedish girl no one liked, coincidentally named Denise), and his boss, Skyler Thompson, seemed to particularly like him.

Then again, it may have had something to do with the fact that he was fluent in Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Kiswahili.

Oh, and had two degrees in Physics and African American studies as well as a concentration in Sociology.

Not to mention his physical had been off the charts…

Whatever. Regardless, a kidnapping case? He hadn't even been there a year! _Damn_…

"Well…" He eyed the folder suspiciously, as if it were a time bomb. "At least there's a lot of evidence."

"Um, no." Denise made a face. "That's photos of the victims so far. The ones that were found, anyways." She took a deep breath as he drank some more coffee. "So far there's been six of them, each of them being taken and found dead a month exactly from their day of disappearance. I'd recommend you look at those on an empty stomach," She added, the corners of her mouth turning upwards.

He snorted, opening the folder and glancing at the first photo. "I think I'll be…holy _shit_!"

"Told you." She shrugged as he flipped through each photo, his disgusted face getting worse and worse. "Should I get you a bucket?"

"No…but goddamn! What's this person's _problem_?"

"I don't know." Denise was doing her best not to look at the pictures, pointedly staring out the window behind him. "But they're pretty sure whoever this person is has some serious obsession with the occult. Anyways, whoever is responsible for the deaths of these women kidnapped another one last night. Her information's at the bottom of the pile along with the others…are you sure you don't want a trashcan? You're looking kind of green."

"Shut up, Denise. That's what I want." His voice was filled with sarcasm. "Thanks." He sighed, taking a deep breath and skipped the photos altogether, jumping to the back. "Alright. So, the first girl was Katie Saunders, 28. Disappeared October 24, 2015, found November 24, 2015."

Denise nodded, reaching into her purse and pulling out a nail file.

"Then Angela Ragland, 34, disappeared on November 24, 2015 and was found December 24, 2015, Christmas Eve. That has to have sucked for her family."

"Mmhmm." Denise began filing her nails, her gaze flickering towards a photo on the corner of his desk. "So, when exactly do you plan on taking that old ass picture of you and your _ex-wife_ out that frame?"

"When I feel like it," He muttered, only half listening as he read through the paperwork. "You know, the same answer I give you when you ask me every other day of the week."

"All I'm saying," Denise said with a shrug, examining a hangnail. "Is that when my first husband and I got a divorce I had gotten rid of his shit in a second. I mean, didn't this girl move to Tokyo over a year ago?"

"Didn't your mother, or father, or the monkeys who raised you tell you it's impolite to stick your nose into other people's business?" He asked snidely. She rolled her eyes.

"So, you're mad."

"Denise, get out." As usual she completely ignored his request, giving the photo a look of disdain. "Robyn Murphy, 23. Disappeared on December 24, 2015, found January 24, 2016. Micah Bruschelli, 40. Disappeared January 24, found February 24."

"Seeing a pattern?"

"What, the fact that he has an obsession with the number twenty-four? Sure." He breezed through the other names. "Alicia True, 29, found March 24, Raven Waters, 31, April 24-" He stopped, his eyes narrowing. Denise looked up.

"She's the one that just disappeared last night," She supplied, as if he didn't already know that. He shook his head, giving the page a look of disbelief. He looked up at Denise, then back down, as if convinced he may be reading it wrong. She sat up, her eyebrow arching.

"Yes?"

"Jazmine DuBois. 21." He looked back up. "I know her."

Denise's jaw dropped. "Nuh uh." She smirked. "Another ex-wife?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not everyone has four ex-spouses like _you _do who are coincidentally found _dead _every year, you goddamn psycho." He sucked his teeth. Denise, as usual, didn't look the slightest bit offended. "We grew up together. She goes to school in Miami. We talk sometimes." He closed the file, pushing it away. "Well, we did." He shook his head. "Wow."

Denise gave him a rare, sympathetic look and reached across his desk, grabbing the phone. "I can get you taken off," She said, pressing a few numbers on the phone and holding it up to her ear. "Knowing one of the victims is enough to get you removed and boss likes you. Just let me call-"

"No." Huey shook his head. "I want to stay on it. It's fine."

Denise gave him a look. "Are you sure?" She held the phone away from her ear. "I mean, this is a big case. One of the biggest ones we have right now. And you're only a part-timer with not even a year experience on him. This is a full-time job. Screw that, an _over-time _job."

"Then I guess I'll have to put in some overtime. So, you can put down the damn phone now." He rolled his eyes. "Damn."

She slowly put the phone back down on the hook, narrowing her eyes towards him.

"You're not going to be impartial with this, you know." She shook her head, crossing her hands over her chest. "You may be good at impersonating a robot, but I've seen cases like this. They always bring out emotion. Always."

"Thanks for the warning."

"I'm _serious_, Freeman." She snorted, pointing towards the photo frame. "You might think being that you didn't even bat an eyelash when she asked you for a divorce makes you strong, but in reality you'll probably be the first one to crack. This stuff is heavy."

"Okay, then." Huey leaned forward, giving her a sarcastic look. "Thank you so much for the upmost confidence you are showing in me. You are the best. Secretary. Ever." He waved his hand towards her, picking up the file and his coffee again. "You can show yourself out now."

Denise shot him a dirty look, pushing herself out of her chair and slowly walking towards the door, her heels muffled on the carpet. She shot him a look over her shoulder, a playful look in her eyes.

"Get a new damn photo."

He didn't even look up; this was so routine to him. "Get a goddamn life."

She shook her head, smirking as she closed the door behind him. He glanced up, sighing and shaking his head as he took another sip of coffee. This killer, this…_sadist_, had some serious issues. What she had said about him being into occult shit was no lie either; not only had he carved unrecognizable symbols into these women's chest (their very _naked_ chests), but they were all found with pagan rosaries around their necks. Maybe their connections were that all the victims were pagan?

No. Jazmine was a catholic. In his eyes one was as bad as the other, but whatever.

The ironic part about this was that he'd always warned her when they were younger, probably over ten years ago, that she was too naïve and trusting with other people. That if she didn't watch her back or learn how to question the motives of others that this sort of thing could happen. After all, she'd walk up to strangers she'd never even met before and strike up a conversation. She'd let said strangers cry on her shoulder over someone's death or go with them to drink hot tea and talk about their past. They'd become good enough friends his senior year of high school that he could call her in Florida to ask her a question about calculus and she'd be genuinely happy to help.

She was a sweet person, sure, but _this _was what happened when you were too sweet.

There was a sudden beeping on the phone and he pressed the intercom button, rolling his eyes. "_What_, Denise?"

"Don't "what, Denise" me," Her loud, irritated voice argued. "You're the one who didn't want me to screen your ex-wife's calls. She's on line two."

Great. This Monday just couldn't get any better.

To tell the truth, Huey had never wanted to get married. Ever. However, after one too many bottles of Hennessey on both of their parts and a night in Vegas courtesy of his best friend, Michael Caesar, he and his girlfriend, Maya Johansen, had awakened on the floor in one of those wedding chapels with Caesar passed out not too far away, the "priest" smoking weed in the corner and Riley laughing his ass off and taking pictures on his iPhone. It hadn't been _too _bad of an experience. Ha. Instead of filing for divorce as soon as the ninety required days were up they'd simply decided to stick with it and _not _contribute to the high divorce rates by making it work.

The only problem was that where he was too ambitious, too cold, and too disconnected, she was even _more _ambitious, cold, and disconnected. When she'd gotten a job in Tokyo, Japan, he'd refused to move just to appease her. And when she accused him of wanting to hold her back he told her that if she felt that way she could pack her bags and carry her ass. Which, being the woman she was, promptly did…

..after punching him in the face.

She had come _really _close to making him break his no-hitting-women policy; otherwise the only place she would have been moving to would have been a cemetery.

Denise, the women who got married every other year and divorced the year in between had taken an interest to his divorce, which had been much less painful than the black eye Maya had given him as a parting gift. While she had been interested before and he'd explained on _many _occasions that he wasn't interested, she just didn't seem to understand that he didn't want to be her next husband who would be found dead in a year's time. Not only was she an expert on narcotics, but she was way too sneaky for his liking. He enjoyed breathing, thank-you-very-much.

"Freeman!" She screeched, breaking his thoughts. "Do you want me to transfer it or what?"

Huey rolled his eyes. "Tell her I'm not here this time," He said, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. "Tell her I'm having an allergic reaction from all her damn phone calls."

He heard a snort. "Fine by me." The intercom died again and he sat back, resting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.

Denise didn't know him well enough to know that he was _always _impassive. Always. He didn't do bias. He definitely didn't do feelings or emotions or empathy. He did logic. He did facts. And as sorry as he was for Jazmine, as sorry as he was for her family who was no doubt in full panic mode right now, he wasn't going to suddenly change his ways for her. He sighed, spinning around in his chair and staring out into the city.

April twenty-fifth. That meant that if the killer stuck to their pattern, Jazmine would be dead by May twenty-fourth. Well, unless he could stop the guy by then.

Man. What had he gotten himself _into_?

* * *

I started the story telling myself I wouldn't do one, but I've always been a lying ho, so whatever. Besides, when I was finishing it I was like "There is _no way _I can just let it end like that." The possibilities of this storyline, for me at least, are _endless_. Therefore, a sequel was born.  
Viola.

**8) Lemon?  
**Oh, god no. The only way you're getting one out of me is if I'm drunk.

Riley: Aye! I thought yo ass was telling me how you wuz gon think bout doing one in the seq-

SHUT THE FUCK UP!

...

Er...the end? :P

-Kelsey


End file.
